No it's not "that." Former U.S. Representative Heather Wilson is not ready to make any political announcements. She hasn't decided whether or not she's going to jump into the Republican race for Governor in 2010. She's not being coy, but she is packing her bags for a long trip to Africa.
Wilson told her Facebook friends that she's making a journey to Sudan and Kenya. Her trip to the largest country in Africa begins tomorrow and is being sponsored by IRI, a non-profit organization funded by grants from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development.
Wilson said while she's in Sudan she will meet officials from the parliament help train legislative staffs, and speak at a women's leadership conference:
Just before announcing his presidential bid in 2007, the governor pressed Sudan President Omar al-Bashir to open the wartorn Darfur region to U.N. troops. He rode to the rescue again in September 2006 to rescue New Mexico resident and Chicago Tribune Journalist Paul Salopek who had been held by rebels for 38 days. In 1996 he traveled to the region to negotiate three international Red Cross workers, an American pilot, an Australian nurse, and Kenyan co-pilot who were taken hostage by rebels.
During her trip this month, Wilson will also travel to Kenya.
Pondering Her Own Political Future?
We imagine that while she's working hard helping set up free elections in a country that didn't event allow political parties until the last four years, she may spend some time enjoying the sights, eating new food, and making new friends. She might spend some down time thinking about her own political plans.
Before traveling she talked about the 2010 race in New Mexico with Albuquerque Journal's Capitol Hill reporter Michael Coleman.
For readers without access to Wilson's Facebook Notes here's her message:
I'm leaving for Africa on Thursday. I'm going to Southern Sudan and Kenya to conduct training and consult with their governments and political leaders. The bulk of the trip will be in Sudan.
I was asked to do this by IRI, a non-profit organization funded by grants from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development.
Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It gained its independence from Britain in 1956 and dissolved into decades of civil war between the largely Islamic north and the African south. The current government of Sudan in Khartoum came to power in 1989 in a coup. Their President, Umar al Bashir, has been indicted in the Hague for war crimes in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Opposition political parties were banned after 1989. Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda spent significant time in Sudan before moving to Afghanistan. Estimates are that 2 million people died in the civil war and another 4 million were displaced. An additional 400,000 died in the Darfur genocide, where much of our attention has focused since 2003.
With the support and good offices of Kenya and the United States, a peace agreement between the north and the south was negotiated and signed in 2005. The agreement created a government of national unity based in Khartoum, created a provisional Government of Southern Sudan based in Juba, set the first free elections which are scheduled to take place in 2010 and scheduled a referendum on independence for the south in 2011.
Since 2005, the US has been working with the new government in Southern Sudan to build their capacity to be self-governing. That includes training of government ministers and staff, training of political parties (but not al Bashir's NDP), and helping the southern based Sudan People's Liberation Movement make the transition from being a rebel movement to being a national political party.
Some elements of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement were implemented early on, but progress on difficult issues has slowed. An all party conference hosted by the US in Washington last week was intended to make progress on outstanding issues -- most importantly marking the border and revenue sharing from oil. There is a serious risk of renewed violence if these matters are not resolved.
There is also a risk that Southern Sudan could vote for independence in 2011 and dissolve into the kind of failed state we see in Somalia because of tribal and war lord rivalries with weak institutions of government. The UN recently reported that killings in southern Sudan between rival militias exceeded deaths in Darfur for the same period. There is an opportunity over the next 2 years to significantly strengthen government and party institutions, build a sense of unity in Southern Sudan and reduce the levels of violence. My visit is part of that effort.
This is a country that has been torn by war for 45 of the past 55 years. The average age of the population is 19 years old. GDP per capita is $2,100 a year and unemployment is at 18%. Political parties were banned until 4 years ago and they have no history of self-government. They enjoy a young peace, but they have never had a free election and are learning what peaceful governance requires. The challenge is formidable.
While in Sudan, I will be meeting with the Speaker of the Southern Sudan Parliament, conducting training and consultations with their legislators who are involved national security and international affairs matters, training the staffs of legislators on constituent service and communications, and speaking at a women's leadership conference sponsored by the UN Mission in Sudan and the US Agency for International Development. I will also be meeting with the leaders of all of the political parties in Southern Sudan about preparations for elections in 2010 and making sure that election is legitimate.
In Kenya, I will be meeting with the Minister of State for Defense and members of the Kenyan Parliament involved in national security matters.
Wilson told her Facebook friends that she's making a journey to Sudan and Kenya. Her trip to the largest country in Africa begins tomorrow and is being sponsored by IRI, a non-profit organization funded by grants from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development.
Wilson said while she's in Sudan she will meet officials from the parliament help train legislative staffs, and speak at a women's leadership conference:
I will be meeting with the Speaker of the Southern Sudan Parliament, conducting training and consultations with their legislators who are involved national security and international affairs matters, training the staffs of legislators on constituent service and communications, and speaking at a women's leadership conference sponsored by the UN Mission in Sudan and the US Agency for International Development. I will also be meeting with the leaders of all of the political parties in Southern Sudan about preparations for elections in 2010 and making sure that election is legitimate.New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has also traveled to Sudan several times.
Just before announcing his presidential bid in 2007, the governor pressed Sudan President Omar al-Bashir to open the wartorn Darfur region to U.N. troops. He rode to the rescue again in September 2006 to rescue New Mexico resident and Chicago Tribune Journalist Paul Salopek who had been held by rebels for 38 days. In 1996 he traveled to the region to negotiate three international Red Cross workers, an American pilot, an Australian nurse, and Kenyan co-pilot who were taken hostage by rebels.
During her trip this month, Wilson will also travel to Kenya.
I will be meeting with the Minister of State for Defense and members of the Kenyan Parliament involved in national security matters.
Pondering Her Own Political Future?
We imagine that while she's working hard helping set up free elections in a country that didn't event allow political parties until the last four years, she may spend some time enjoying the sights, eating new food, and making new friends. She might spend some down time thinking about her own political plans.
Before traveling she talked about the 2010 race in New Mexico with Albuquerque Journal's Capitol Hill reporter Michael Coleman.
For readers without access to Wilson's Facebook Notes here's her message:
I'm leaving for Africa on Thursday. I'm going to Southern Sudan and Kenya to conduct training and consult with their governments and political leaders. The bulk of the trip will be in Sudan.I was asked to do this by IRI, a non-profit organization funded by grants from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development.
Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It gained its independence from Britain in 1956 and dissolved into decades of civil war between the largely Islamic north and the African south. The current government of Sudan in Khartoum came to power in 1989 in a coup. Their President, Umar al Bashir, has been indicted in the Hague for war crimes in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Opposition political parties were banned after 1989. Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda spent significant time in Sudan before moving to Afghanistan. Estimates are that 2 million people died in the civil war and another 4 million were displaced. An additional 400,000 died in the Darfur genocide, where much of our attention has focused since 2003.
With the support and good offices of Kenya and the United States, a peace agreement between the north and the south was negotiated and signed in 2005. The agreement created a government of national unity based in Khartoum, created a provisional Government of Southern Sudan based in Juba, set the first free elections which are scheduled to take place in 2010 and scheduled a referendum on independence for the south in 2011.
Since 2005, the US has been working with the new government in Southern Sudan to build their capacity to be self-governing. That includes training of government ministers and staff, training of political parties (but not al Bashir's NDP), and helping the southern based Sudan People's Liberation Movement make the transition from being a rebel movement to being a national political party.
Some elements of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement were implemented early on, but progress on difficult issues has slowed. An all party conference hosted by the US in Washington last week was intended to make progress on outstanding issues -- most importantly marking the border and revenue sharing from oil. There is a serious risk of renewed violence if these matters are not resolved.
There is also a risk that Southern Sudan could vote for independence in 2011 and dissolve into the kind of failed state we see in Somalia because of tribal and war lord rivalries with weak institutions of government. The UN recently reported that killings in southern Sudan between rival militias exceeded deaths in Darfur for the same period. There is an opportunity over the next 2 years to significantly strengthen government and party institutions, build a sense of unity in Southern Sudan and reduce the levels of violence. My visit is part of that effort.
This is a country that has been torn by war for 45 of the past 55 years. The average age of the population is 19 years old. GDP per capita is $2,100 a year and unemployment is at 18%. Political parties were banned until 4 years ago and they have no history of self-government. They enjoy a young peace, but they have never had a free election and are learning what peaceful governance requires. The challenge is formidable.
While in Sudan, I will be meeting with the Speaker of the Southern Sudan Parliament, conducting training and consultations with their legislators who are involved national security and international affairs matters, training the staffs of legislators on constituent service and communications, and speaking at a women's leadership conference sponsored by the UN Mission in Sudan and the US Agency for International Development. I will also be meeting with the leaders of all of the political parties in Southern Sudan about preparations for elections in 2010 and making sure that election is legitimate.
In Kenya, I will be meeting with the Minister of State for Defense and members of the Kenyan Parliament involved in national security matters.
--Heather Wilson
Photo Credit: MG Bralley
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