WASHINGTON D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- United States President Barack Obama on Thursday announced the designation of Ambassador Princeton Lyman as the new U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan.

"With a lifetime of experience working on some of Africa's most pressing challenges, Ambassador Lyman is uniquely qualified to sustain our efforts in support of a peaceful and prosperous future for the Sudanese people," said Obama.

Ambassador Lyman will replace Scott Gration as Special Envoy. Since last August, Lyman worked closely with General Gration as the State Department's Senior Advisor on Sudan North-South Negotiations.

Both were part of the United States diplomatic effort that led to an historic and peaceful independence referendum for South Sudan on July 9, 2010. Obama expressed full confidence and support that Ambassador Lyman will advance U.S. interests and the aspirations of the Sudanese people during this transition.

In his new capacity, Ambassador Lyman will oversee our support for full implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, reduced tensions between north and south over the status of Abyei, the birth of an independent South Sudan, and a definitive end to the conflict in Darfur.

The referendum was the culminating point of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending two decades of civil war between the North and the South that killed some 2 million people and drove an estimated 4.5 million others from their homes.

In Abyei, a separate referendum was held simultaneously with the rest of Southern Sudan in January to decide whether to become part of the North or South. However, attempts to create a referendum commission remain stalled as communities in the area continue fighting over the right to vote.

Abyei has witnessed a series of attacks in recent days that have killed more than 100 people and displaced thousands of people. The Abyei region is considered the bridge between North and South. The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) was deployed to safeguard the region and enforce peace.

(Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)