RIGHTS GROUPS WELCOME PRINCETON LYMAN AS NEW U.S. ENVOY TO SUDAN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2011
(Washington, D.C.) – Sudan Now, a group of human rights and anti-genocide organizations, welcomed today’s announcement by the White House that U.S. Ambassador Princeton Lyman will be the new U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan. Ambassador Lyman recently led the U.S negotiation team dispatched to help implement Sudan’s North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
“The US has named an envoy who combines deep knowledge of Sudan with extraordinary experience in peace-making. This is exactly the right combination of qualities needed for the hard road ahead in helping to secure the peaceful birth of the new nation of Southern Sudan, an effective peace deal in Darfur, better access for aid and human rights monitors, and the rights of all Sudanese in the two states that emerge in July,” said Enough Project Co-Founder John Prendergast.
“We welcome Ambassador Lyman and appreciate the experience and knowledge he will bring to this important role,” stated Sam Bell, Executive Director of Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition. “Unrest in South Sudan, escalating violence in Darfur and a threatened Darfur peace process underscore the serious challenges that face Ambassador Lyman. We urge him not to rush to reward the Khartoum regime while it continues to target civilians in Darfur, has yet to resolve several outstanding post referendum and CPA issues, and is reportedly contributing to violence in South Sudan.”
According to the members of Sudan Now, Mr. Lyman should pressure the NCP and SPLM to prioritize human rights, promote democracy and good governance, and resolve the remaining post-referendum issues, and support the Doha peace process by urging and working with all parties to take concrete steps to create and implement a comprehensive peace agreement that addresses the fundamental grievances of the Darfuri people.
“Ambassador Lyman is a skilled, experienced, and respected diplomat,” said Mike Boyer, a spokesman for Humanity United. “Particularly with the peace process in Darfur at a critical and delicate stage, and with the need to be ever-diligent of the massive challenges that persist throughout North and South Sudan, President Obama has chosen in Ambassador Lyman someone who is positioned to provide the right kind of leadership at this seminal moment in the country’s history.”
“Princeton Lyman is a serious diplomat who we believe has the right skills to help bring all sides towards peace,” said AJWS president Ruth Messinger. “He has an enormous task particularly with negotiations occurring immediately that will shape the future of relations between Sudan and Southern Sudan and create a renewed effort to secure a peaceful settlement in Darfur. We expect that he will not accept the status quo of millions living in camps and will provide a renewed sense of accountability which has too often been lacking in the past.”
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Sudan Now is a campaign led by a group of anti-genocide and human rights advocacy organizations committed to bringingmeaningful and lasting peace to Sudan and encouraging strong American leadership and action to achieve this goal. The campaign challenges President Obama, top U.S. administration officials, and the international community to live up to their promises to take strong and immediate action to help end the international crisis in Sudan and bring a lasting peace to Sudan’s people. Organizations participating in the campaign include Humanity United, the Enough Project at the Center for American Progress, Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition, Stop Genocide Now, Investors Against Genocide, and American Jewish World Service. For more information, please visit www.sudanactionnow.org
Contact: Ann Brown, abrown@annbrowncommunications.com, 301-633-4193
Contact: Jonathan Hutson, jhutson@enoughproject.org, 202-386-1618
Contact: Vanessa Parra, vparra@humanityunited.org, 202-904-0319