The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a high-level, off-the-record conversation with the Honorable Susan Page, former US ambassador to South Sudan and current senior negotiator for the US special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan. After a welcome and introduction by Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham, Page commented on the status of current negotiations to end the year-long conflict in South Sudan.

Shortly after South Sudan declared independence in July 2011, Page began her appointment as the first US ambassador to the world’s youngest state. Throughout her tenure, Page facilitated negotiations between political factions and supported democracy building efforts across the country. Since the violence broke out in December 2013, and subsequently resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, the displacement of 1.7 million others, and left millions more in urgent need of humanitarian aid, Page has been on the leading edge of the United States’ efforts to bring an end to the conflict.

Page also echoed comments made by US Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth in his remarks at the Atlantic Council in October, highlighting the complexities and urgency of the task ahead.