US Deputy Secretary Burns Completes Week-long Trip to Africa

31 Jan 2012 05:26 Africa/Lagos

US Deputy Secretary Burns Completes Week-long Trip to Africa

WASHINGTON, January 31, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

January 30, 2012


Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns wrapped up his week-long visit to Africa today in Ethiopia. As head of the U.S. delegation to the African Union Summit, he met yesterday and today with a number of leaders in Addis Ababa, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, South Sudanese President Kiir, Sudanese Foreign Minister Karti, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles, Libyan Prime Minister al-Keeb, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang, and Kenyan Foreign Minister Wetangula. Over the weekend, the Deputy Secretary was in Uganda, where he met with Ugandan President Museveni and visited a public-private partnership at Wagagai, one of more than a hundred clinics that the United States supports in Uganda to provide preventive care and comprehensive maternal and child health services. He also traveled on January 28 to South Sudan, where he met with a number of senior officials including Vice President Machar.

Throughout his meetings at the African Union, as well as in Ghana, Uganda, and South Sudan, the Deputy Secretary highlighted our ongoing commitment to work with African partners to support gains in democratic governance, sustainable development, economic growth, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. His discussions also covered a range of security, political, and humanitarian challenges facing the continent. The Deputy Secretary expressed deep concern regarding the Government of Sudan's continued denial of humanitarian access to Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, and also underscored the need for Sudan and South Sudan to quickly reach agreement on oil and related financial issues. Various leaders he met with expressed concern about the growing threat posed to Nigeria and the region by Boko Haram. The Deputy Secretary stressed that the United States will continue to support the Government of Nigeria on this and other challenges facing the country. On Somalia, the Deputy Secretary noted U.S. support for the work of the African Union Mission in Somalia and the need for the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to make steady and sustained progress on the Roadmap in advance of the end of the TFG's mandate in August. The Deputy Secretary highlighted ongoing U.S. collaboration and partnership with the African Union on a broad range of issues, and assured leaders of the U.S. commitment to continue to assist the African Union in augmenting its capacity to address the many opportunities and challenges facing the continent.

In Ghana, Uganda, and Ethiopia, the Deputy Secretary took the time to engage with a cross section of young leaders, entrepreneurs, and civil society activists engaged in every sector of society. The Deputy Secretary's visit, coming on the heels of the Secretary's visit to West Africa last week, reaffirms the high priority that the Obama Administration attaches to Africa, and the special emphasis the United States has placed on engaging the continent's next generation of leaders.


Source: US Department of State

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Barack Obama Humbled and Challenged by Nobel Peace Prize

Barack Obama Humbled and Challenged by Nobel Peace Prize

The news of winning the Nobel Peace Prize came as a surprise to President Barack Obama, but he has seen it as a challenge to take up the mantle of a peacemaker and not a war monger and a wake up call in the nation building of a New America in the leadership of the world.

The following is a copy of his call to action addressed to all those on his mailing list.

Oct 9 (17 hours ago)

Michael Chima --

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Saudi Ambassador Responds to Congressional Letter on Peace in the Middle East

13 Sep 2009 14:24 Africa/Lagos

Saudi Ambassador Responds to Congressional Letter on Peace in the Middle East

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel A. Al-Jubeir responded to a July 31 letter, co-signed by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and more than 220 Members of the House of Representatives, to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. In the letter, the Members noted the Saudi-sponsored Arab Peace Initiative and urged Saudi Arabia to make a dramatic gesture towards Israel as a confidence building measure to promote peace.


In his response, Ambassador Al-Jubeir thanked the Members for their interest in promoting peace in the Middle East and stated: "Over the years, Saudi Arabia has taken clear positions that attest to its desire to see this long-standing conflict resolved equitably and permanently."


Ambassador Al-Jubeir outlined the requirements for peace which are enshrined in numerous international resolutions and contained in the Arab Peace Initiative. These include Israeli withdrawal of all Arab territories occupied in 1967, including Jerusalem, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and a just settlement for Palestinian refugees in exchange for recognition, an end to the conflict, security, peace and normal relations with all Arab countries.


The Ambassador also reiterated the Saudi position that an incremental approach to peace, or one built on confidence-building measures, will not succeed. "It has not succeeded over the past three decades and, we believe, will not succeed today." The Ambassador cited as an example the issue of Israeli settlers in Palestinian territories: in 1979, when the Camp David Accords were signed, the number of settlers was about 5,000. By the time the Madrid Peace Conference was held in 1991, the number reached 100,000, and by the time the Annapolis Peace Conference was convened in 2007, the number of settlers had exceeded 200,000. In the past, a number of confidence-building measures were undertaken, but no peace was achieved.


"It is our firm view that resolution of this conflict does require outlining the final settlement at the outset, followed by prompt resumption of negotiations on all final status issues -- borders, Jerusalem, water, security and refugees -- with a deadline set for their early conclusion. The focus must be on the final settlement and on the final peace, not on an incremental process. This will make the final outcome clear to all parties, and thereby undermine the ability of extremists on both sides to delay or derail the movement to peace."


In addition, the Ambassador underlined the importance of continued, active U.S. involvement necessary to effectively move toward peace: "It is also absolutely imperative for the United States to play an active and robust role in the negotiations, as history has shown."


To view the letter, please click here. For more information on Saudi Arabia's efforts to promote Middle East peace or on the Arab Peace Initiative, please visit www.SaudiEmbassy.net.


Source: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office

CONTACT: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Information Office, Washington,
DC, +1-202-337-4076, press@saudiembassy.net


Web Site: http://www.saudiembassy.net/




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