Donald E. Booth (born 13 July 1952) is an American diplomat who is serving as the U.S. Special Envoy for

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

. Between August 2013 and January 2017, he was the U.S. Special Envoy to

and

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

. Prior to his appointments as special envoy, Mr. Booth served as the

Ambassador of the United States Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

, and

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

Early life

Booth attended

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

, where he earned a bachelor's degree in foreign service;

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

, where he earned an MBA; and the

National War College The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National War Colle ...

, where he earned a master's degree in

national security National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...

studies.

Diplomatic career

Booth initially served in a number of diplomatic posts, including Economic Counselor in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Division Chief of Bilateral Trade Affairs at the

State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

, International Relations Officer in the Office of Eastern European Affairs, desk officer for the

Office of Egyptian Affairs An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...

and the Office of East African Affairs, and various positions at the U.S. embassies to

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...

, and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. Immediately prior to his appointment as ambassador to Liberia in 2005, he had served as Deputy Director of the Office of Southern African Affairs, Director of the Office of West African Affairs, and Director of the Office of Technical and Specialized Agencies in the State Department's

Bureau of International Organization Affairs The Bureau of International Organization Affairs (IO) is a bureau in the United States Department of State that creates and executes U.S. policy in the United Nations and other international organizations. It is headed by the Assistant Secreta ...

. Booth was appointed Ambassador to Liberia by

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

in 2005; he was confirmed by the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

on June 16, 2005, and arrived in Liberia on July 29. On June 4, 2008, he was confirmed as the new U.S. ambassador to Zambia. He left his post in Liberia on July 11, and took up the post in Zambia on September 19. He was nominated to become Ambassador to Ethiopia by President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

on December 9, 2009, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He was nominated to become the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan by President Obama on Wednesday, August 28, 2013. Booth served as the US Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan until 2017. He led the U.S. government's effort to "normalize relations" with the genocidal regime in Sudan and repeatedly worked to make it easier for Sudan to comply with the U.S. requirements to lift sanctions on Sudan. In South Sudan, Booth oversaw U.S. policy that sidelined Vice President Riek Machar and solidified U.S. support for President Salva Kiir despite Kiir's continued efforts to thwart peace efforts and sponsorship of mass atrocities. Sidelining Machar and saying that he should not return to Juba exacerbated the conflict, solidified Kiir's ruling authority, and was a tacit endorsement of Kiir's military's continued human rights abuses and atrocities committed against the South Sudanese people. The Trump administration re-appointed Donald Booth to be the Special Envoy for Sudan on June 10, 2019 and announced his appointment two days later.

References

External links

* *U.S. Department of State's Brussels Regional Media Hu

July 23, 2019 , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, Donald E. 1952 births Ambassadors of the United States to Liberia Ambassadors of the United States to Zambia Ambassadors of the United States to Ethiopia Boston University School of Management alumni Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni Living people National War College alumni United States Special Envoys United States Foreign Service personnel 21st-century American diplomats