THE TOP THREE
1. The United States appoints diplomat Donald Booth to push Sudan's military council toward a deal

What's going on
 Under Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC), over a hundred protesters have been killed and many more wounded over the past week. TMC has canceled all agreements and has refused to negotiate further with the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces, the opposition group representing civil society leaders and activists. On Wednesday, the United States joined efforts by the African Union and the international community by appointing Ambassador Donald Booth as Special Envoy for Sudan to lead U.S. efforts to find political and democratic solution.
What Ambassadors are saying
"A critical question remains on the table about other viable alternative futures for Sudan. All parties recognize that Sudan cannot climb out of its economic collapse alone. So where will help come from, on what terms, and with what timeline? Answering that question requires international leadership that is visionary, not reactive. When Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy tried to provide some direction from the African Union by stepping in to mediate talks in recent days,  civilian participants were arrested  in the aftermath of the meeting. The AU has an important role to play, but it needs an international ecosystem of support. The distortions in Sudan’s economy that have favored a small set of elites are part of an unsustainable system." (Ambassador Michelle Gavin, former U.S. Ambassador to Botswana, CFR )
2. The United States and Mexico reach an agreement on migration enforcement and avert tariffs on Mexican goods

What's going on
The United States and Mexico reached a deal to stop tariffs on Mexican goods that would have gone into effect on this past Monday. Mexico agreed to deploy National Guard troops to its southern border with Guatemala to address the influx of migrants from Central America heading towards the United States. The deal also provides that the United States will expand implementation of its Migrant Protection Protocols that return asylum seekers to Mexico while they wait for their court hearings. Mexico will support those returned with work permits, health care and education.
What Ambassadors are saying
"One of the things I think is in dire need of review are asylum procedures and these last few days what has been highlighted is the need for more cooperation between the United States and Mexico on the enforcement side. The ability for people to move through Mexico to our southern border and into the [asylum] process without any intention of appearing for their hearings is something that has been abused. I think that the need for reviewing the asylum procedures is long overdue...Mexico has agreed to enhance their enforcement procedures along their southern border, committing 6,000 National Guard troops...I personally think that tariffs were the wrong tool to use in this situation. Using tariffs to try to accomplish policy objectives that are unrelated to trade and economics. I think they brought a certain urgency and an expansion of existing programs. I would have liked to have seen it done the diplomatic route outside the use of that tariff threat, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that it did bring a certain urgency and expansion of existing programs to the table. We’re hopeful that in terms of the US-Mexico cooperation it’ll stick so that we can move forward and start looking at ratification of the USMCA and trade.” (Ambassador Antonio Garza, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Fox Business )
3. Protests erupt in Hong Kong over extradition bill

What's going on
Protests erupted this week in Hong Kong after Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she is determined to pass a proposed extradition law that would allow for case-by-case fugitive transfers between Hong Kong and mainland China (and other regions with which it does not already have agreements). Opponents fear the law will be used by Beijing to extradite activists, dissidents and other political opponents. Police have used tear gas and rubber bullets in attempts to suppress protesters opposed to the legislation. Under ongoing public pressure to refuse the bill, pro-Beijing lawmaker Michael Tien openly called for a delay of the bill's passage saying, "If things continue to move in the wrong direction, I am worried that the government will find it harder to win the trust of its friends..."
What Ambassadors are saying
”In Asia, consistency of policy objectives and coherence is always essential, more so than in many other regions as it speaks to commitment and trust. This is not supported by a government of tweets which an authoritarian government can twist. The end results in no clarity in objectives. As such the current U.S. Administration has contributed to this turmoil."  (Ambassador Robert Orr, former U.S. Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank)

"Once upon a time, China’s Chairman Mao is famously said to have proclaimed: ‘The Chinese people have stood up.’ Now, today, it is clear that ‘The Hong Kong people have stood up.’ Will Hong Kong’s leaders listen to their own fellow Hong Kong citizens or simply continue to kowtow to Beijing? As Anti-Extradition Bill protesters continue to rock Hong Kong, their message is clear: a stronger Hong Kong means freedom, democracy & a resounding ‘No’ to China extradition." (Ambassador Curtis S. Chin, former U.S. Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank)
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