Visit to Sudanese Border Caps Week-Long Booker CODEL to Nigeria, Ghana, and Chad

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, has returned from a week-long official trip to Nigeria, Ghana, and Chad - including a visit to the Chad-Sudan border, where Booker's delegation was the first group of Members of Congress to meet with refugees fleeing war, violence, and food insecurity since the war in Sudan began last year. The trip comes on the heels of a Booker official visit to Tanzania and Kenya in February.

During both trips, Booker visited global health, economic, and agricultural or food-related program sites, and met with government officials, human rights advocates, youth, and local entrepreneurs, as well as U.S. diplomats and embassy officials, including those focused on implementing U.S. funded development and humanitarian assistance. Booker also met with representatives from United Nations agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

In Nigeria, Booker discussed governance, anti-corruption efforts, and human rights with members of Nigerian civil society, met with alumni of youth skills training programs implemented by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hosted a discussion with Nigerian entrepreneurs and alumni of U.S. exchange programs, and met with high-level Nigerian government officials and US diplomats based in Nigeria.

In Ghana, Booker met with US diplomats and embassy officials, had discussions with Ghanaian civil society and LGBTQI+ rights advocates in the wake of the nation's parliament passing anti-LGBTQI+ legislation earlier in March, met with African-American diaspora leaders, and met with high-level Ghanaian government officials.

In Chad, Booker met with US diplomats and embassy officials, representatives of United Nations agencies focused on refugees and humanitarian assistance, and Chadian government officials and members of civil society. Booker also visited the Chad-Sudan border to meet with Sudanese refugees fleeing violence and hunger and to better understand what is needed to respond to the growing refugee crisis stemming from the war in Sudan.

"As Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, I have been focused on strengthening bilateral relationships on the African continent," Booker said. "My recent trips to East and West Africa were incredible opportunities to engage with African partners on a shared vision for the future, which includes boosting trade and economic investment, strengthening democratic institutions, promoting human rights, and cooperating on global challenges like climate change and food insecurity.

"I ended my most recent trip by visiting the Chad-Sudan border, where I saw with my own eyes the horrifying impacts of the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the urgent need to step up our support to humanitarian organizations, like UNHCR, working to address severe malnutrition and violence against vulnerable populations. I reiterate my plea for an immediate cessation of hostilities by the RSF, SAF, and all other parties to the conflict."

In February, Booker traveled to Kenya and Tanzania as part of a separate official trip to East Africa.

During his time in Kenya, Booker received a briefing on regional humanitarian and refugee dynamics as well as the U.S. response to these crises in the region. In a roundtable discussion with various UN agencies in Nairobi, Booker gained insight on food security challenges, Kenya's refugee policies, and challenges stemming from the conflicts in Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Booker also visited a health clinic run by CFK Africa, a non-governmental organization founded in Kibera that partners with the CDC to help improve community-based health services and public health outcomes in informal settlements. They explored extending health care to underserved areas, enhancing epidemic control, education, and economic opportunity. Additionally, Booker engaged in a civil society roundtable to discuss Kenya's anti-corruption efforts, democratic institution strengthening, and election reform. Senator Booker also met with LGBTQI+ advocates in Kenya to discuss human rights. The delegation discussed trade and investment opportunities with Kentegra, an organic pesticide manufacturer, and MAS Intimates, an apparel and textile manufacturer that is an African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiary. Lastly, they met with Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) participants who developed a business ensuring proper vaccine storage for remote communities.

While in Tanzania, Booker received a briefing on Tanzania's role in regional peacebuilding and the impact of U.S. economic investments in Tanzania. Booker also participated in a roundtable discussion with young women entrepreneurs creating sustainable businesses in their communities with the help of US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs. The discussion centered on the hurdles small business owners face in Tanzania's economic environment and opportunities for strengthening development across the region.

In Tanzania, Booker also visited a regional hospital that partners with PEPFAR and the CDC. Through this partnership, HIV/AIDS diagnostics and treatment has dramatically improved and helped transform Tanzania's ability to provide quality care and save millions of lives. Booker also visited a community-based health center that provides assistance to people in harder to reach communities who are unable to travel to larger medical centers.

"Strengthening America's economic partnerships with Tanzania and Kenya through initiatives like AGOA promote prosperity, strengthen institutions, and promote stability in the region. It was inspiring to see first-hand U.S. assistance programs that work towards fostering a new generation of leaders committed to giving back to their communities.

Booker continued, "PEPFAR's impact in Tanzania and Kenya cannot be overstated. Through strategic partnerships between U.S. departments and agencies, like the CDC, and national governments' ministries of health, PEPFAR has transformed healthcare systems across the region, saving millions of lives and curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS as well as other infectious diseases impacting the continent. Investing in global health also protects America's interests by preventing the spread of diseases worldwide and potentially stopping the next pandemic.

"Throughout each trip, I reaffirmed the value the United States places on U.S.-Africa relations. It is absolutely imperative the Senate takes decisive action to safeguard vital programs like PEPFAR and AGOA, which are driving transformative change in the region. The protection of these programs is essential for saving lives, fostering regional development, and advancing our broader U.S. foreign policy objectives. The United States must ensure our commitment to continue delivering essential aid, bolstering bilateral relations, and strategically investing across the continent."

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