On May 5th, 22 Members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama, urging him to quickly appoint a new high-level U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo to replace Russ Feingold, who stepped down from the position earlier this year. Citing the progress that has been made in Congo and the region in recent years, the letter stresses the importance of a new Special Envoy in order to ensure this progress is not halted:
"We strongly believe that a dynamic, well-resourced Special Envoy, reporting directly to the Secretary of State, is critical to addressing the ongoing challenges in Congo and promoting wider stability in the region."