FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Statement of U.S. Senators Russ Feingold and Johnny Isakson
On the Appointment of Major General J. Scott Gration to be U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, respectively, issued the following statement today on the appointment of Major General J. Scott Gration to be U.S. special envoy to Sudan.

“We are very pleased that President Obama has appointed Major General J. Scott Gration to be U.S. special envoy to Sudan. His knowledge of Africa and his experience there, coupled with his distinguished military career, make him well-equipped to help craft a strong, reinvigorated policy towards Sudan. This appointment could not come at a more crucial time as new political developments emerge in Sudan and the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people worsens. We look forward to hearing from General Gration on how he and the Obama administration plan to respond to these new developments, coordinate an interagency approach, collaborate with key actors, and reinvigorate peace efforts. We are ready to work with him and ensure that he has the staff and resources he needs to carry out an effective strategy.”

On Feb. 25, Feingold and Isakson wrote to President Obama requesting a special envoy for Sudan. The letter is below.

February 25, 2009

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We are writing to encourage you to appoint a Special Envoy for Sudan to lead and coordinate United States efforts to bring peace to Darfur and support the fragile Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). We were very pleased by your recent statement that ending the crisis in Darfur is a top priority for your administration, and while we understand a Special Envoy appointment is under consideration, we urge you to move quickly to put in place a top diplomat who can respond to the new opportunities and emerging challenges.

As you well know, the security situation in Sudan remains very volatile and has the potential to deteriorate in the coming weeks. At the same time, the new peace talks in Doha, Qatar, appear to be moving in the right direction and may provide an opening for greater engagement. We believe it is critical that the United States respond to these new developments, and that appointing a high-profile Special Envoy is an essential part of that process.

We were pleased to hear from Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Rice at their respective confirmation hearings and in their remarks since that they are committed to ending the violence in Darfur and supporting lasting peace in Sudan. We know that you and Vice President Biden are also personally committed to these goals. It is our understanding that your administration has been undertaking a policy review process to ensure the most effective strategy toward all of Sudan, and we commend you on that careful planning. However, in light of changing events on the ground, we urge you to expedite that process as much as possible. We are ready to work with and support your administration in that effort.

Sincerely,
Russell D. Feingold
Chairman
Subcommittee on African Affairs
United States Senate

Johnny Isakson
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on African Affairs
United States Senate

CC: The Honorable Hillary Clinton
Secretary of State

The Honorable Susan Rice
Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations