WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s trip to Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this weekend, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, urged her to address key concerns and challenges facing the countries.
“Your travels come at a crucial time for Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the DRC,” Booker wrote. “Today, each of these governments has the opportunity before them to veer from the path of further instability towards one that assures a brighter and more secure future for their citizens. I hope you will encourage these governments to seize this opening and I look forward to learning about your findings after you return from your visit.”
In Ethiopia, Booker asked Haley to urge the Ethiopian government to undertake meaningful steps to improve the conditions for democracy and human rights, and to play a constructive role in efforts to resolve the conflict in South Sudan.
In South Sudan, Booker urged Haley to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis that has resulted in the deaths of as many as 300,000 civilians, with four million South Sudanese forced to flee their homes and six million, half of the country, severely food insecure.
In the DRC, Booker urged Haley to remind President Kabilia of his commitments to hold free and fair elections and end on opposition and civil society groups. Booker also followed up on his letter to President Trump earlier this month, in which he urged the administration to consider imposing targeted sanctions against high ranking DRC officials in the absence of meaningful progress on a peaceful transition of power. He also requested that Haley continue to bring attention to the case of two U.N. investigators killed in DRC earlier this year, American Michael Sharp and Swedish-Chilean Zaida Catalán.
Full text of the letter is here.
