Greetings from Khartoum! With January 9, 2011 fast approaching, last week I returned to Sudan to urge the parties to make progress on arrangements to ensure a peaceful future for the Sudanese people.
While much work remains, the arrival of referendum materials in Sudan last week was a step forward in preparations for the vote on January 9. I had the pleasure of participating in a ceremony on Friday where international partners formally presented referendum materials to Sudanese officials. The materials were procured by the United Nations Development Programme and the International… more »
Last week, all eyes were on New York City as senior diplomats from around the world gathered for the UN General Assembly meetings. In the meeting rooms and corridors of United Nations Headquarters, we worked diligently with our international partners to elevate the importance of Sudan on the world stage and urge the North and South to take swift action to prevent destabilizing conflict and remain on the path of peace.
The importance the Obama Administration places on Sudan was highlighted at UNGA as the President, Secretary Clinton, Ambassador Rice, and I met with Northern and Southern… more »
August 28, 2010 -- Greetings, and Ramadan Kareem. I'm writing this from the road to update you on my recent travels to Sudan and Kenya.
The holy month of Ramadan serves as a valuable opportunity to reflect on our shared objectives of peace, stability, and prosperity for Sudan and its neighbors. Whatever one's religious beliefs, the teachings of patience, sacrifice, and humility emphasized during Ramadan are helpful lessons for all of us working in the fields of international diplomacy and development.
As the countdown to the referendum accelerates, the United… more »
Greetings from Kampala, Uganda, where I am attending the African Union Summit. I just completed a trip to Sudan, including stops in Khartoum, Darfur and Juba for meetings with the AU/UN, the CPA parties, and various experts on education, environment, and agro-pastoral issues in Darfur.
In El Fasher, I continued my conversations on these themes with UNAMID officials, local government officials, civil society leaders, other UN agencies, and NGOs. I have also used these meetings to underscore the absolute necessity of improving civilian protection and security in Darfur before large-scale… more »
About the Author: Major General (Ret) Scott Gration serves as the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan.
Just six months to go until the referenda on Southern Sudan's independence and the status of Abyei. As the international community turns its attention to planning for January 9, 2011, I believe continued engagement on Darfur is as important and relevant as it ever was. The President's Strategy calls for a holistic approach to resolving conflict in Sudan, and peace in Darfur remains a critical pillar of that strategy. At the same time, there is no single government, institution, or organization alone responsible for ending the Darfur conflict. Partnership and collaboration are essential to our efforts in the region, and I'm working closely with the… more »
About the Author: Major General (Ret) Scott Gration serves as the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan.
I am about to head to Darfur, after spending several days in Khartoum and Juba. While in Khartoum, I participated in a plenary session of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC) to discuss the remaining issues regarding implementation of the 2005 North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). See below for a brief description of the AEC and for the text of a statement released by the AEC and its members following the plenary session.
The AEC was established as part of the 2005 CPA to monitor and support implementation of the peace agreement. It is made up of representatives from the Sudanese parties to the CPA, the National Congress… more »
Hello, I'm Scott Gration, the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan. This week I'm heading out on my next visit to the region -- to Sudan and Ethiopia. Let me take a few minutes to share some of our objectives with you.
Two weeks ago, Sudan held its first multiparty elections in 24 years. While we have expressed our concerns about the elections and the electoral environment, we recognize these elections are an important element of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. We're continuing our efforts to fully implement the CPA, including next year's referenda in Abyei and Southern Sudan.
About the Author: Major General (Ret) Scott Gration serves as the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of participating in the "Way Forward on Darfur and South Sudan Pittsburgh Summit." The event was organized by the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition and hosted by Carnegie Mellon University. I spoke at the main event on Saturday evening along with former President of the Save Darfur Coalition Jerry Fowler, Head of the Government of Southern Sudan Mission to the United States Ezekiel Gatkuoth, and Diaspora representatives. The theme of my remarks was “Goals of American Policy in Sudan: Problems and Prospects.” I spoke about what the United States Government is doing to end the violence in Darfur and fully… more »
I am currently on a trip to Kenya and Qatar, and I wanted to take a moment from here in Nairobi to recognize and reflect on the importance of today, International Women's Day.
Over the last several weeks, we've seen a lot of progress on the issues facing Sudan. On Darfur, major progress has been made with the signing of the landmark ceasefire and framework agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), one of the largest… more »
This past week was a time to reflect and a time to listen. Since the rollout of the U.S. strategy on Sudan, we have been charging full speed ahead to implement the strategy and achieve progress in Sudan. This past week, however, was a time for us to take a moment to reflect. I met with leading Sudan activists, operational NGOs, and representatives from the Darfuri diaspora to continue our dialog. I also wanted to hear from them about their thoughts, ideas, and concerns about Sudan and about our efforts to implement the U.S. strategy to save lives and achieve meaningful progress on the ground.
I am surprised by the foul-mouthed comment from my Nigerian brother.The generous US help is an expression of cooperation between Sudan and…
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Mazi P. in Nigeria writes:
The UN/World should quickly provide South Sudan with Protective Buffer Zone as to avert Genocide before South Sudan Referendum, as delays, ignorance…
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May 24: Secretary Clinton and Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael Posner will release the 2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices at 10:30 a.m. more »
May 23: The State Department, through its office of the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), is pleased to announce $1.5 million in funding to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to support open governance and political participation in the Middle East and North Africa. more »
![Sudan referendum materials as seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Oct. 30, 2010. [State Department Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1103_SudanReferendumMaterials_m.jpg)
![President Obama speaks during a Ministerial Meeting on Sudan, Sept. 24, 2010, at the UN. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0928_un_sudan_m.jpg)
![Market vendor prepares for Ramadan near Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 11, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0901_gration_grassroots_diplomacy_m.jpg)
![AU and UN envoys meet with SLA leadership under a tree, Darfur, Jan. 15, 2008. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0726_darfur_m.jpg)
![Refugees ride donkeys during sand storm near El Fasher, Darfur, Sudan, Apr. 13, 2010. [AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0710_darfur_refugees_m.jpg)
![Sudanese man stands by his sheep in el Fasher, Darfur, Sudan, Apr. 14, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0505_Sudan_m.jpg)
![Sudanese women in al Salam refugee camp, al-Fasher, Sudan, Mar. 26, 2009. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0308_women_sudan_m.jpg)
