The State Department published on 26 February 2024 a press release titled "Announcement of a Special Envoy for Sudan."
Tom Perriello became this week the new US special envoy for Sudan. He previously served as the special envoy for the Great Lakes and the Democratic Republic of Congo and as the Special Representative for the second Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. He also represented Virginia's Fifth Congressional District in the House of Representatives.
Devex Newswire posted on 5 February 2024 an article titled "The Exclusive Scoop on the New US Sudan Envoy" by Anna Gawel.
The Biden administration is expected to name Tom Perriello, a former Congressman from Virginia, as the new special envoy to Sudan. There has been bipartisan pressure in Washington to increase the attention given to the civil war in Sudan.
Foreign Policy published on 29 June 2023 an article titled "U.S. Envoy Pick Reveals Battle over Sudan Policy" by Robbie Gramer and Jack Detsch.
John Godfrey, the current U.S. ambassador to Sudan, has been given added responsibilities by being named U.S. special envoy for Sudan. The article is critical of this decision by the Biden administration, arguing that a separate high-level individual is needed to serve as the U.S. special envoy for Sudan.
Foreign Policy published on 10 May 2023 a commentary titled "How the U.S. Fumbled Sudan's Hopes for Democracy" by Robbie Gramer.
This is a sharp criticism of U.S. policy towards Sudan during the events leading up to the outbreak of conflict on 15 April 2023 between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Comment: While there probably were U.S. policy mistakes during the events leading up to the conflict, this analysis omits one important conclusion. Most of the blame for the catastrophe in Sudan today lies squarely with the Sudan Armed Forces led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the Rapid Support Forces.
