Governor of Central Equatoria ends successful visit to USA

September 22, 2009 — The historic visit of H.E Major General Clement Wani Konga, the Governor of Central Equatoria State of the autonomous South Sudan region of the Sudan to Washington, District of Columbia (Washington, DC) ended successfully on Saturday September 19, 2009. He and the accompanying delegation left Washington, DC on Sunday September 20, 2009 and is now back in Sudan. He called this morning from Khartoum to assure the ECE Executive Committee and all members that, he and the accompanying delegation arrived safely and will proceed to Juba straightaway. He asked me to convey his greetings to all in ECE, and everybody here in the United States of America (USA). He said, he is very pleased with the reception and the warm welcome he and the delegation received from ECE and everybody else.

The private visit organized and arranged by the Equatoria Council of Elders in the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area (ECE-GWMA), took 17 hectic days. On Thursday September 3, 2009 which was the first day of arrival here, the Executive Committee of ECE briefed H.E. the Governor and the accompanying delegation on the situation in Washington, DC in particular and the USA in general.

On the following day which was Friday September 4, 2009 there was a joint meeting, between ECE Executive Committee and the governor and his entourage. This meeting focused on the purpose, objective and the program of the visit to Washington, DC. The ECE Executive Committee raised a lot of political, economic and educational concerns that affect the people of Equatoria. Issues pertaining to security in Equatoria, South Sudan and the Sudan as a whole were discussed at length. After the meeting immediately, H.E. the Governor of CES visited the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) Mission Office in Washington, DC. And after a brief meeting with the officials of the GOSS Mission Office in DC, he and the accompanying delegation enjoyed a Sudanese lunch at the GOSS Mission Office, in the late hero’s, Dr. John Garang de Mabior’s conference room. It was a memorial moment.

On Saturday September 5, 2009 the Governor and his delegation travelled to Salt Lake City, Utah, USA to address the annual conference of the Equatoria Sudanese Community Association in the United States of America (ESCA-USA). The Governor returned to Washington, DC on Monday September 7, 2009 to continue with the program and the scheduled meetings as planned and organized by ECE.

While in Washington, DC, H.E. Clement Wani Konga and his entourage had a very busy schedule. He met some officials in the United States Department of State. The most important of these meetings was at the office of the United States Special Envoy to the Sudan, General Scott Gration. On Capitol Hill, the governor met with several Congressmen and Senators. Notably, was the meeting between him and the aide of Congressman Frank Wolfe, and Trent Franks. It is worth noting that, Congressman Frank Wolfe is a long time veteran supporter and defender of the struggle of the people of South Sudan.

Governor Clement Wani Konga and the accompanying delegation met with a number of NGOs network. He met the Genocide Intervention Network, Enough Project, Save Darfur Coalition, and Resolve Uganda. He also visited and had audience with the officials at the Center for Security Policy which is a think-tank institution here in Washington, DC. He had a very fruitful panel discussion at the Hudson Institute which included interviews with the local media. He succeeded to persuade a lot of businessmen, investors and intellectuals to invest in Equatoria.

The Governor and his entourage travelled to the State of Texas where they had the opportunity to talk to the state government, business community and institutions of learning there. He also succeeded to persuade businessmen there to invest in CES, especially in the agricultural sector. The A&M University of the State of Texas, which specializes in agriculture promised to help and improve the agricultural sector, not only in CES, but in the whole of Equatoria. The Commissioner of Agriculture in the State of Texas promised to do the same only in CES.

Here in Washington, DC, the Governor and his delegation was availed all the opportunity to speak to all Sudanese. He first met the Equatorian Community in Washington, DC area; after which, they had dinner at the residence of the Sudanese Ambassador to USA. He had the opportunity to speak and hear from the South Sudanese Community in Washington, DC, and lastly on Saturday September 19, 2009 he spoke and heard from the Sudanese Community in Washington, DC. On the following day, Sunday September 20, 2009, H.E. Clement Wani Konga and his delegation left Washington, DC for Sudan. They were seen off at Dulles Washington International Airport by ECE Executive Committee members.

We, in the Executive Committee and the entire membership of ECE give special thanks to H.E Major General Clement Wani Konga and his entourage for honoring and accepting our humble invitation. We reciprocate by giving him and his entourage the greatest honor and respect that he deserves, being one of the outstanding leaders of our beloved Equatoria, South Sudan, and the whole Sudan. We are proud to mention that, wherever he went and spoke, he captured the attention of his audience in an unprecedented way that no South Sudanese leader or politician had ever done before. The appreciation, the applauses, and the acknowledgment of his wit and wisdom were very clear indicators of leadership capabilities in him.

We, in ECE would like to register our sincere gratitude and appreciations to all in the administration of the USA under President Obama, particularly the US Department of State. We will not forget to register our thanks and appreciation to the Senators and Congresspersons (Lawmakers) who took some time out of their congested schedule to have audience with Governor Clement Wani Konga of CES.

ECE would want to register their appreciation and gratitude for the warm and fraternal welcome that was accorded to H.E. Governor Clement Wani Konga by the Commissioner of Agriculture in the State of Texas, the A & M University of the State of Texas, the Hudson Institute, all other institutions of learning and the business community and investors here in Washington, DC and in the State of Texas.

We would like to thank H.E. the Sudanese ambassador to the United States of America for his role in welcoming Governor Clement Wani Konga. Our thanks go to the Government of South Sudan Mission (GOSS) office in Washington, DC for their cooperation.

Lastly, but not least, our sincere thanks go to all the members of ECE for the sacrifice and tireless efforts they exerted to make the governor’s visit a success. The spirit of unity, fraternity and team work was manifested here. In spite of all the odds against ECE, the visit was a success.

Thank you.

James Lomole Simeon

Legal Advisor and Official Spokesman

Equatoria Council of Elders

Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area, USA.