USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa Raja Jandhyala appeared at a congressional hearing last week along with U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Ambassador Princeton Lyman, to discuss the current crisis in Sudan and the impending independence of South Sudan on July 9.
The hearing, titled “Africa’s Newest Nation: The Republic of South Sudan,” explored the challenges South Sudan will face as it becomes an independent nation, in keeping with the outcome of the January referendum on self-determination (PDF, 873kb) for southern Sudan, a key provision of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which USAID has helped implement. Nearly 99 percent of southern Sudanese voted in January for secession. Called by the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, the hearing also explored the current crisis that has resulted from conflict that erupted in Sudan’s Abyei Area last month and in Southern Kordofan state this month, displacing some 170,000 people.
Read in her written testimony (PDF, 51kb) about how USAID is responding to the current crisis with humanitarian assistance, and how USAID is helping the Government of Southern Sudan prepare for statehood.
As a member of the USAID consultancy team in the period 2000 – 2007, I feel proud to have been the Lead Facilitator in providing the initial Leadership Capacity Development training for the GOSS helping to form the foundation for the Republic of Southern Sudan! The current crisis call for a continued focus on leadership at all levels of the new government – not just USAID but guiding and facilitating democratic leadership capability in preparation for true statehood. I was honored to help early in the process and would consider it an honor to again support this effort in any way USAID may deem appropriate.