Nikki Haley to press Congo, South Sudan on how they use UN funding
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned Sunday that the United States plans to scrutinize how the governments of South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are using the funds the U.S. contributes to the United Nations.
“The UN spends over $2 billion per year on the peacekeeping missions in these two countries alone. The United States is by far its largest financial donor. The goodwill and generosity of the American people are well-known, and we will continue to help the most vulnerable. But we will not do that if our assistance is continuously blocked from reaching people in need. We need to see progress toward political solutions in both countries that lead to sustained peace and stability for their people,” she wrote in an op-ed ahead of her trip to the continent this week.
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“The United States has many interests in these war-torn African countries. Our interests are certainly humanitarian, but they are also economic and strategic,” Haley wrote in the piece for CNN.
“Throughout the world, we have seen that desperate situations can lead to dangerous results. For this reason, President Donald Trump recently asked me to travel to the region to get a first-hand picture of what can be done. I will also visit Ethiopia — which hosts both the headquarters of the African Union and one of the largest communities of South Sudanese refugees in the world,” she continued.
Haley discussed issues facing various African nations, including violence in South Sudan, which has resulted in a refugee crisis, as well as the ongoing violence and turmoil in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The op-ed comes a month after Trump announced he would send Haley to the continent.
“Millions of lives are at risk, and we continue to provide humanitarian assistance. But real results in halting this catastrophe will require an African-led peace process and the sincere — really sincere — commitment of all parties involved,” Trump said, according to Politico.
“And I know you’re working on that, and you’re working on that very hard. To assist in these efforts, I’m sending Ambassador Nikki Haley to Africa to discuss avenues of conflict and resolution and, most importantly, prevention,” he said.
–This report was updated on Oct. 23 at 5:43 a.m.
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