May 22, 2015

South Sudan Ambassador to Visit Pittsburgh amid Deepening Conflict

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For immediate releasepittsburg
Contact 412 992-0102

Pittsburgh, May 15, 2015

With his country stalemated by political and ethnic conflicts that impact millions, the South Sudanese Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Garang Diing Akuong, will visit Pittsburgh on Sunday, May 24, 2015 to present his government’s position. The event, a Luncheon and Forum organized by the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, members of the Sudanese and South Sudanese Community in Pittsburgh, and the Peace Committee of the East Liberty Presbyterian Church, will also feature presentations by Hawa Abdullah Salih, an exiled human rights advocate from Darfur who was selected as a Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 2012 Woman of Courage; Benjamin O. Rogus from the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan of the U.S. State Department, and Jehanne Henry, Senior Researcher in the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch, who directed a recent report on the mass rape of women and girls by Sudan government soldiers in the North Darfur village of Tabit.

The event runs from 2-5 pm and features panels on both South Sudan and Sudan, including Darfur. The luncheon (2-3 pm provided by members of the Sudanese–South Sudanese Community) and the Forum are both free and open to the public though advance reservations are being taken.

The Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition is an 11 year old grassroots advocacy organization, focused on issues of peace and justice in Sudan and South Sudan and affiliated with the Thomas Merton Center.
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For information about the event, contact information and schedule for Ambassador Akuong and other invited speakers, please contact David Rosenberg, Coordinator, Pittsburgh, Darfur Emergency Coalition; 412 992-0102; jumphook@gmail.com