The United States is deeply concerned by the recent fighting in Darfur’s Jebel Marra region. There are credible reports that villages were targeted for attack during clashes between the Government of Sudan (GoS) forces and the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW), resulting in thousands of newly displaced civilians. We call on all sides – the GoS forces, SLA/AW, and armed tribal groups — to immediately halt their provocative actions and violent responses. In addition, the government should permit immediate and unhindered access by the United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), UN Country Team elements, and national and international humanitarian agencies to the areas where violence is taking place, as well as to displaced populations.

The risk of violence in Jebel Marra highlights the importance of the GoS and the governments of the states of Darfur cooperating with UNAMID to establish its Jebel Marra Task Force. The United States implores all parties to redouble their commitment and take immediate steps towards a comprehensive peace process.

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MS NAUERT: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was just sworn in moments ago by Justice Alito at the Supreme Court not long after he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. No other secretary in recent history has gone on a trip as quickly as he has. Secretary Pompeo is now on his way to Joint Base Andrews, where we’ll be taking off. I’d like to provide you the details of his trip.

First, he’s heading to NATO and we will arrive there in the morning, and that’s when he will reaffirm the importance of our NATO alliance. A lot of meetings that he has planned, including a bilateral meeting with the foreign minister of Turkey, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, and then also the Italian Foreign Minister Alfono. They’re going to talk about Afghanistan. They’re going to talk about Russian deterrence and NATO’s invaluable role in Afghanistan as well.

Next, we will head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, of course, is a key partner and longtime friend of the United States. The Secretary looks forward to meeting with King Salman and also the foreign minister. We will also stop for a meeting at our embassy with mission personnel. I know the Secretary looks forward to meeting our colleagues in Saudi Arabia.

After that, we’ll head to Israel, where our relationship has never been closer than it is right now with that country. There, the Secretary will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lastly, we will go to Jordan, our close friend and invaluable ally in the region. He there will meet with King Abdullah and also the foreign minister and visit our mission personnel.

After that, we will head back to the United States, and that is where the 70th Secretary of State looks forward to starting his first full day at work next week at the State Department.

QUESTION: Any decisions about —

MS NAUERT: Questions?

QUESTION: — of how you picked the stops? I mean, NATO obviously was planned, but why the others?

MS NAUERT: NATO was, of course, planned. Acting Secretary John Sullivan now becomes the deputy secretary once again. He had been planning to go to NATO for that meeting. Now, Director Pompeo will go. The other trips, other locations were selected because of the importance of these key allies and partners in the region and all the events going on in the world today.

Okay, all right.

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Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs A. Wess Mitchell will join U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels, Belgium, on April 27, where the Secretary will lead the U.S. participation in the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting.

Following the NATO Foreign Ministerial, Assistant Secretary Mitchell will visit Tbilisi, Georgia, where he will provide the keynote address at the NATO-Georgia Public Diplomacy Forum and meet with senior government officials as well as with other political leaders, representatives of civil society, and the American Chamber of Commerce to reinforce U.S. support for Georgia’s aspirations to integrate into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

He will then travel to Kyiv, Ukraine, May 1-3. He will meet with senior government officials, other political leaders, and civil society representatives to underscore U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and stress the importance of Ukraine implementing economic and anti-corruption reforms.

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Brussels, Riyadh, Jerusalem, and Amman, April 26-30.

The Secretary looks forward to meeting key Allies and partners on his first official trip as Secretary of State.

The Secretary will travel to Brussels April 26-27, where he will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and participate in the NATO Foreign Ministerial, during which Allies will discuss preparations for July’s NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government meeting.

The Secretary will then travel to the Middle East, where he will meet with Saudi, Israeli, and Jordanian leaders to discuss critical regional and bilateral issues.

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On April 25, we marked the birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who has not appeared in public since he was reportedly abducted two decades ago by the Chinese government at age six. The United States remains concerned that Chinese authorities continue to take steps to eliminate the religious, linguistic, and cultural identity of Tibetans, including their ongoing destruction of communities of worship, such as the Larung Gar and Yachen Gar monasteries. We call on China to release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima immediately and to uphold its international commitments to promote religious freedom for all persons.

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