Appointment reflects Sudan's high priority in Bush administration
The U.S. Department of State announced July 26 the appointment of Roger P. Winter as special representative of the deputy secretary of state for Sudan.
Winter was a member of the U.S. team that supported former Senator Jack Danforth in helping to negotiate the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January that ended a civil war in Sudan that raged for two decades. He has been involved in humanitarian and conflict issues in Sudan for 25 years, most recently as assistant administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance. In that capacity, he also helped negotiate the April cease-fire agreement for Darfur.
Following is the text of the announcement:
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
July 26, 2005
STATEMENT BY SEAN MCCORMACK, SPOKESMAN
Roger P. Winter Appointed Special Representative for Sudan
The Department of State announces the appointment of Roger P. Winter as Special Representative of the Deputy Secretary of State for Sudan. Mr. Winter's appointment reflects the high priority this Administration attaches to halting the violence in Darfur and supporting implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed January 9. Mr. Winter will be responsible for advancing the achievement of America's goals for Sudan that were promoted during the Secretary's visit to Sudan last week and during the Deputy Secretary's three visits to Khartoum and Darfur in April, June and July.
Since 2001, the United States played a leading role in peace negotiations between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement to end the North-South civil war that devastated Sudan for two decades. Mr. Winter was a member of the U.S. team that supported Senator Jack Danforth in helping to negotiate the CPA. He has been involved in humanitarian and conflict issues in Sudan for twenty-five years, most recently as Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance. In that capacity, he also helped negotiate the April 2004 cease-fire agreement for Darfur, which was an initial first political step toward ending the carnage-taking place in that region. Mr. Winter's long involvement with the parties and familiarity with the events that have occurred in Sudan will enable him to engage with the new Government of National Unity and others to further U.S. diplomacy on Sudan and advise the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on policy related to Darfur and to Sudan.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)