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SPLM welcomes nomination of Susan Page as new US ambassador

August 19, 2011 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s ruling party on Friday was quick to welcome the nomination of Susan Page, to be the United States’ new ambassador to Africa’s new nation.

United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs and ambassadorial nominee to South Sudan (AP)
United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs and ambassadorial nominee to South Sudan (AP)
US president Barack Obama announced on Thursday his intention to nominate the senior State Department official to become the US’s first ambassador to South Sudan.

Daniel Awet Akot, Deputy Speaker of South Sudan’s National Assembly and member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), said he welcomed Page’s nomination, describing her as an American friend who stood with the former rebel movement that turned into a political party.

“She was one of the international activists who helped us during the war,” Akot told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

“She was part of the secretariat and the whole team involved in all coordination during the [negotiations on the peace] agreement”, the member of the SPLM’s political bureau said.

The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement brought hostilities to a close between the SPLM and Khartoum after over two decades of war. The main provision in the deal gave South Sudan the right to secede through a referendum which took place earlier this year.

South Sudan became independent on July 9 on the last day of the deal, following an overwhelming vote for independence.

Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol, another senior member of the SPLM also commended Page’s nomination and said the new country was lucky to have a person of her caliber appointed to the post.

“South Sudan is lucky to have somebody like Susan Page as Ambassador of US at this particular time of our history”, Wol said in an e-mail seen by Sudan Tribune at the SPLM-Diaspora forum on Friday.

Page currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs. Prior to this assignment, she was Regional Director for Southern and East Africa at the National Democratic Institute.

From 2005 to 2007, she served as the Director of the Rule of Law and Judicial System Advisory Unit at the United Nations Peace Support Mission to the Sudan. From 2002 to 2005, Ms. Page was the legal advisor to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Secretariat for Peace in the Sudan.

Prior to that role, she served as Senior Legal Adviser and Chief of the Justice and Human Rights Unit for the United Nations Development Programme in Rwanda. Ms. Page served as a Foreign Service Officer from 1993 to 2001, working as a Political Officer in Rwanda from 1999 to 2001 and as a Regional Legal Adviser for USAID in Botswana (1995-1998) and Kenya (1993-1995).

Ms. Page began her career at the State Department in 1991, where she served as an Attorney-Adviser for Politico-Military Affairs in the Office of the Legal Adviser. Ms. Page received an A.B. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

She was part of the mediation team put together by a coalition of East African states that created the CPA, working under General Sumbeiywo for three years until the agreement was signed in 2005.

(ST)

3 Comments

  • jur_likang_a_ likan'g
    jur_likang_a_ likan'g

    SPLM welcomes nomination of Susan Page as new US ambassador
    She will be in South Sudan for a purpose that resonates with safeguarding human rights, elimination of injustice, protection of freedom of speech, press, association and political independence of the people whereby plural democracy in real sense is allowed to be practised.

    Reply
  • Lorolokin
    Lorolokin

    SPLM welcomes nomination of Susan Page as new US ambassador
    The fruits of peace that we are now enjoying was brought to us by the US government headed by then president George W. Bush. So we are not only well coming this strong lady Ms page but every US citizen who wishes to come to South Sudan and most of all is Bush himself, This man contributed a lot to our freedom, He even reaches to the extend of instructing UN permanent members to leave for the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to presure Nation Crime Party (NCP) to accept the SPLM demand for self determination.
    Well come Susan
    Well come George W. Bush
    Well come any American Citizen
    “God bless South Sudan”

    Kinkak

    Reply
  • jur_likang_a_ likan'g
    jur_likang_a_ likan'g

    SPLM welcomes nomination of Susan Page as new US ambassador
    Kinkak.

    Do not forget the effort of Ustaz Elias Nyamlel, Mr Sebit Alley and most important of all the campaign carried out by Comrade Steven Wondu who enlightened our problem to USA from north to South and east to west. They did a great job. These people should be core of the government but not at the periphery of it. I mean they should be members of the executive body of the GoSS.

    Reply
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