Tom Wolf: “this month we witnessed the signing of the peace agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, between the Government of Sudan and the…”

“this month we witnessed the signing of the peace agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The signing of this agreement has ended Africa's longest running war, a brutal civil war that spanned 21 years where 2 million people died. I congratulate the parties for reaching this agreement. I also want to commend President Bush, Secretary of State Powell and his team, Ambassador Danforth and all the outside groups for their unrelenting efforts in the support of peace. I also want to commend all the countries that played a critical role in the peace, particularly Norway and Kenya. Now all parties have to live up to the agreement and begin the task of rebuilding the lives of millions of people. This would be a good time for the administration to appoint a strong acting ambassador to immediately go to Khartoum to help implement the peace agreement. This would not be to reward Khartoum, but to keep pressure on all parties to make sure the agreement sticks and to speak out on the issue of Darfur. There is nothing like being on the scene every day, all day. So much has gone into getting this agreement. We must do everything to make sure that it lasts. It is also important as we look forward that we do not forget the tragedy still unfolding in Sudan.”