Media Contact 202-226-8467

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID), House Subcommittee on Africa Chairman John James (R-MI), and Senate Subcommittee on Africa Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-SC) released the following statement on the Biden administration’s temporary appointment of former Congressman Tom Perriello as special envoy for Sudan.

“The temporary appointment of a special envoy to Sudan, 10 months into the war, should not be viewed as a recognition by the Biden administration of the significance of this crisis. Instead, it demonstrates yet another failure in its response to the crisis.

“This war has significant consequences for innocent Sudanese and for the entire region. As such, Congress began calling for a special envoy who reports directly to the president on a bipartisan basis immediately after the war began. We regret that after all these months, the administration still failed to appoint a more permanent presidential envoy.

“While the department will argue it chose to avoid Senate confirmation due to the urgency of the situation, it sat on this decision as the interagency argued about resources, reporting lines, and how this position will be used.

“Sudan must be a higher priority for Secretary Blinken and President Biden. We hope this appointment will help force a reset of U.S. policy toward Sudan and the envoy will be provided the authority to lead this reset.”

Background: The ongoing war in Sudan, largely forgotten by the international community, began in April 2023. Every day, innocent civilians are subjected to unimaginable atrocities, including genocide, as the leaders of two belligerent forces battle each other with the direct backing of malign regional and global actors.

As of January 2023, special envoys exercising significant authority on behalf of the United States are required by law to be sent to the Senate for confirmation.

###