“Ambassador Princeton N. Lyman, the US special envoy to the Republic of Sudan, recently paid a visit to the IGD while in South Africa for consultations on the challenges and peace processes in north Sudan. He exchanged views with researchers at the IGD on the changing face of conflict in the Sudan, its implications for the Horn of Africa and what might be done by the AU, the Horn region itself and major African states like South Africa to prevent a calamity from breaking out in the Republic of Sudan. For its part, the IGD offers insights into the working of peace diplomacy in Africa and the role of key actors. The envoy and IGD agreed to remain in touch, exchanging notes of ideas for the permanent resolution of the Sudan conflict. The IGD has a particular interest in how political dialogue at all levels of Sudanese society could help ameliorate the situation. Its director, Siphamandla Zondi, recently served on an African Union expert mission to Sudan assigned to identifying ways in which the AU could best support post-conflict reconstruction in the Sudan.”