Professional Affiliation

Fmr. US Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan

Expert Bio

Ambassador Donald E. Booth served as US Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan from August 2013 until January 2017 and again as Special Envoy for Sudan from 2019-2021.  Ambassador Booth, a former member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, also previously served as Ambassador of the United States of America to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 2010-2013, Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia from 2008-2010 and Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia from 2005-2008. Prior to that, he was Director of the Office of Technical and Specialized Agencies at the Department of State's Bureau of International Organization Affairs. Ambassador Booth has also served as Director of the Office of West African Affairs, Deputy Director of the Office of Southern African Affairs, Economic Counselor in Athens, and Division Chief for Bilateral Trade Affairs at the Department of State. He has attended the National War College and served as a desk officer in the Office of Egyptian Affairs and the Office of East African Affairs. Ambassador Booth was also stationed at embassies in Greece, Romania, Belgium, Liberia and Gabon.

Ambassador Booth earned a bachelor's degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a master's degree in Business Administration from Boston University and a master's degree in National Security Studies from the National War College.

Ambassador (Ret) Booth was an advisor to the Carter Center’s Sudan and U.S.-China-Africa Cooperation programs (2018-19).  He was also a Carter Center volunteer election observer for the August 2017 Kenyan election.   He has lectured periodically to university classes and volunteers regularly with Habitat for Humanity and Re-Building Together in northern Virginia.  In August 2022, he became co-chair of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Sudans Working Group and a member of Diplomats Without Borders.