WASHINGTON, United States: The United States Monday named a special envoy on Sudan in a new push to persuade warring generals to lay down arms after 10 months of severe bloodshed.
Former congressman, Tom Perriello “will coordinate the US policy on Sudan and advance our efforts to end the hostilities, secure unhindered humanitarian access and support the Sudanese people as they seek to fulfill their aspirations for freedom, peace, and justice,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. Perriello had earlier served as a special envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes region.
In April last year, a war broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Militia Force, which failed to find a way to merge as part of a derailed path to civilian rule.
According to figures from the United Nations and independent agencies, thousands of people have been killed, 1.6 million displaced and some 25 million, more than half the population, forced to rely on international aid.
The United States and other countries have led a series of talks between the two countries that have had little success.
US lawmakers have been calling for a top Sudan official for months, and Perillo’s appointment also fills the void left by the end of US Ambassador to Khartoum John Godfrey’s term.
Godfrey was the first US ambassador to Khartoum in a quarter century, a sign of hope after the ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir.
