The United States is set to name Tom Perriello, a former diplomat and US congressman, as the new special envoy to Sudan, in an effort led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address the ongoing conflict that has devastated parts of Sudan and resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives.
Blinken, in a pre-announcement statement to Reuters, emphasized the U.S.’s intention to heighten its engagement in resolving the conflict, which has persisted despite previous negotiation attempts.
Perriello expressed his commitment to leveraging the efforts of partners in Africa and the Middle East to cease the hostilities, which have led to widespread humanitarian crises and violations against civilians.
He highlighted the critical nature of this appointment by President Biden and Secretary Blinken to halt the violence and prevent further humanitarian catastrophe.
Following the departure of U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey, Daniel Rubinstein will step in as the interim charge d’affaires and director of the Office of Sudan Affairs, operating from Ethiopia.
The conflict in Sudan, which erupted last April due to tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) regarding the transition to civilian governance, has caused significant destruction, particularly in Khartoum, and has led to over 13,000 deaths as per U.N. estimates, raising alarms of potential famine and displacing numerous residents.
The RSF faces accusations from the U.S. of engaging in ethnic cleansing in West Darfur, alongside allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the Sudanese army is similarly accused of war crimes for its extensive airstrike campaigns.
Perriello’s prior roles include serving as a special envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as representing Virginia in the U.S. Congress.
Rubinstein recently represented the U.S. in discussions about Sudan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which failed to uphold commitments.
Following the outbreak of violence between Sudanese factions last April, the U.S. evacuated its government personnel from Khartoum and suspended embassy operations.
