Today, Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration gave a briefing at the State Department on his recent visit to Juba and Khartoum. In this time of intensified diplomacy ahead of the January 2011 referenda, Special Envoy Gration made his 20th official trip to Sudan last weekend, had meetings in Khartoum and in Juba, and laid out for authorities in both capitals U.S.' expectations for the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
Special Envoy Gration said, "We seek a definitive end to the conflict in Darfur, to the gross human rights abuses, to the genocide that has existed there. And we seek to make sure that Sudan never again becomes a haven for international terrorists.
"The South has fought for 40 years for this… 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 »
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.
On April 19, 2010, the Sudan Troika (United States, United Kingdom and Norway) released a joint statement on the recent elections in Sudan. The text follows:
"We acknowledge the conclusion on 15 April of Sudan's first multi-party elections in twenty-four years. We commend the people of Sudan for their engagement in a complex and lengthy polling process, and their increased civic participation over recent months. Last month we collectively reiterated our call for peaceful, credible elections, and expressed our deep concern regarding reports of administrative and logistical challenges, as well as restrictions on political freedoms.
"We note initial assessments of the electoral process from independent observers, including the judgment that the elections failed to meet international standards. We are reassured that voting passed reasonably peacefully, reportedly… more »
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 »
I write today to express my deepest concern for the people of Haiti and my most heartfelt condolences to those who have lost a loved one in this terrible disaster. The earthquake in Haiti has wreaked horrible devastation, and we still do not know the extent of the destruction and loss of life.… more »
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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Spokesperson Nuland (Feb. 10): "We will have more of this declassified U.S. national available both on Robert's site in coming days but also on our new site www.stateondemand.com, where news organizations can find all of our content to pull down around the world. more »
Secretary Clinton (Feb. 9): "I want to underscore how confident we are in Italy, in Italy's future, in the extraordinary commitment that Prime Minister Monti and his government are bringing to the challenges confronting the Italian people..." more »
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![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)
![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)
![Election observers and political party agents watch ballot counting, Juba, Apr. 16, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0419_sudan_ballots_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)
![Woman walks among debris in Port-au-Prince after earthquake, Jan. 14, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0114_woman_portauprince_m.jpg)
