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Breaking News: Obama Chooses Sudan Envoy

Posted by Laura Heaton on Mar 18, 2009
 
The AP and Reuters are reporting that President Obama has tapped retired Air Force General Scott Gration as the U.S. envoy to Sudan. According to reports, the president will likely make an official announcement tomorrow. 
 
A Newsweek profile of Gen. Gration from earlier this year looks at his close ties to the president, forged during a 15-day tour of Africa last August. The son of missionary parents, Gen. Gration grew up in the Congo and speaks fluent Swahili.  
 
The Enough Project has advocated for President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to quickly finalize their pick. In partnership with the activist community, we've stepped up these efforts recently as the situation on the ground in Darfur has quickly unraveled. Following the issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir by the ICC earlier this month and his retaliatory decision to expel more than a dozen humanitarian aid agencies, the need for a full-time, high-level envoy to Sudan became ever more urgent.
 
Gration spoke at the DNC Convention in Denver last summer. His official Air Force Bio is here.
Submitted by on March 18, 2009 - 10:25am.

My first comment last week when Obama declared that the situation in Darfur was not acceptable, I wrote  ..... From memories of his father, President Obama has the intellectual capability of making the necessary equation of Peace and Justice. He lived in an unjust society as a black boy nurtured with white grandparents and had very challenging identity conflict and could reconcile with his own family. Here comes the equation peace comes first and then tolerance as he did. Law gives nominal justice but social justice can give more opportunity through tolerance and engagement is better than conforntation. What I want to say is that President Obama if left to his own experience can easily get to a smart solution to the crisis n Darfur so I take the challenge of advising him to listen to his inner voice and get insightful solution.....). Now after appointing a retired General as an envoy for making peace, it seems to me it is not Obama's choice, while choosing two other politically brilliant and experienced international personalities as envoys for the Middle East and Afganistan...any how what we want from him is not to put the cart before the horse as the ICC did recently. The CPA is at stake, the elections may be delayed, Doha initiative needs more impetus and leverage to make fruits for all. Mr.President.....listen to your inner voice and wish you all the best.

Submitted by on March 18, 2009 - 4:02am.

I hope that this man will be different from previous envoys, and start with open mind if he wants to make a success. The image of America by the large population of Sudanese is bad, its biased position have led to no success to stop the suffering of Darfurians. The issue not what Al-Basheer has done but how to tackle the situation first. World wide except in some western countries, they sees the problem differently as clearly shown after ICC made it is warrant to arrest Al-Basheer. This man he needs to talk to in and out Darfurians and not to propagandist groups in the western countries and this is before he starts talking to GOS. He needs to force unlimited rebel groups to unite and tell what they want. The first action should be towards how to establish security and help refugees return home. All issues like sharing power and wealth should be deferred after getting peace and have elected represenatatives from all Darfurians and not from the rebel groups. I wish him all success but last reminder he needs to go with what his father has said about him "he grew up respecting people of a different color and culture in a very natural way."