Mike Hammer, the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, is currently in Kenya as part of endeavours to resolve the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
According to a statement released on Monday by a US Department of State spokesperson, Mike Hammer will engage with officials from Kenya, Ethiopia, the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and other global partners between August 28 and September 8.
The statement partly reads, “He will discuss the ongoing crisis in Sudan and engage in conversations about regional and international efforts to end the violence, establish democratic governance, and support justice and accountability.”
It added, “In Ethiopia, he will also discuss continued implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement as well as urge the protection of civilians and a negotiated resolution to ongoing conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regions”.
The statement comes almost a week after the US strongly condemned the pervasive conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan.
The US emphasizes that ensuring accountability for sexual violence in conflict is a fundamental priority for its government. This commitment is evident in the Presidential Memorandum that President Joe Biden signed in November 2022, which mandates the utilization of various tools, such as legal, policy, diplomatic, and financial measures, to discourage such acts of violence.
The conflict that erupted on April 15 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has reportedly led to the displacement of over 4.5 million individuals both within and outside Sudan.