The expert workshop on civil society advocacy regarding Sudan, which concluded its proceedings on Wednesday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, announced the establishment of a broad African human rights coalition named “Sudan Coalition,” with the aim of developing a more effective strategy for civil society organizations in the field of political advocacy, in support of reaching a peaceful resolution to the conflict and backing initiatives aimed at achieving this, particularly the Quartet and Quintet initiatives.
The workshop, which began last Monday, was attended by a select group of Africa’s leading human rights defenders, along with representatives of the most prominent African civil society organizations.
The workshop was organized by the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies and the Center for Justice and Accountability in Africa (CEJA)—both of which hold consultative status with the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva—along with the Sudan Knowledge Center in Geneva. Prominent human rights and diplomatic figures participated, including the head of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, Mohammed Shandi Osman; the outgoing Special Adviser to the African Union on Women, Peace, and Security, Benita Diop; and the Coordinator of the International Independent Fact-Finding Mission, Caroline Bosman, as well as representatives from UN commissions and a number of African human rights leaders.
Hannah Foster, Executive Director of the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, said in her remarks following the announcement of the coalition’s establishment that the creation of “Sudan Coalition” aims to strengthen broad African advocacy for Sudanese issues and enhance its presence in regional and international forums, emphasizing that the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies stands ready to provide all necessary facilities and support to enable the coalition to fulfill its intended role.
She added that the final draft establishing the coalition’s framework will be ready before the end of this month.
The experts and human rights leaders participating in the coalition’s founding workshop unanimously agreed on the need to develop a unified African strategy for political advocacy that would enable Sudanese and African civil society organizations to unify their discourse and message to the regional and international communities, reflecting the gravity of the humanitarian crisis, and affirming that Africa can no longer afford to wait for delayed solutions to end the ongoing war in Sudan.
Participants also called for the “Sudan Coalition” to serve as the nucleus of a permanent African civil society alliance, functioning as an independent and neutral platform for engagement with regional and international institutions and contributing to efforts aimed at achieving peace, justice, and the protection of civilians in Sudan.
