U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs

Subcommittee News

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Rep. Payne Selected to Be a Member of President Obama’s Presidential Delegation to Attend the Ceremony Marking the Declaration of the Independence of the Republic of South Sudan

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, President Obama announced that Congressman Donald M. Payne will be a member of his Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Sudan to attend the ceremony marking the Declaration of the Independence of the Republic of South Sudan on July 9, 2011. Congressman Payne released the following statement:

“On July 9, 2011, southern Sudan officially becomes an independent country. South Sudan will become the 196th country in the world, the 193rd member of the UN and the 55th country in Africa. The United States, the African Union and international community have played a key role in making this day possible. Having recently celebrated our Independence Day here at home, I am privileged to be able to represent the United States of America as we welcome the Republic of South Sudan into the community of nations,” said Congressman Payne.

“I was elected to Congress in 1988 and was sworn into office in 1989 – the same year that Omar el Bashir came to power in a bloody coup. I recall my first visit in 1993 to Nimule, a town near the Ugandan border, to help mediate negotiations between the two factions. That was when I first met the late Dr. John Garang- father of South Sudan’s quest for autonomy, as well as a young military commander, Salva Kiir—now the president of the Government of South Sudan.”

“Upon returning from that trip I, along with other Members, introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for the right to self-determination for the people of South Sudan, which was passed. In 2004, I sponsored a resolution to call the world’s attention to the atrocities in Darfur, which upon passage, was the first time Congress recognized an ongoing genocide. I also introduced a bill focused on Abyei in response to the Bashir government and pro-government militia’s order to displace more than 40,000 people in May 2008.”

“As a Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, I have been committed to helping Sudan achieve peace and justice. I have worked closely with the U.S. Department of State and the international community throughout the years to ensure that South Sudan become an independent nation. The United States has been a critical partner in the peace process that led us to where we are today. Therefore, I am proud to be a part of the Presidential Delegation to participate in South Sudan’s independence ceremony. While today marks a great achievement, let us not forget to reinforce our past investment in diplomacy and development to ensure that the current progress evolves into stability and growth,” Congressman Payne stated.

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