Horn of Africa network urges for women’s prominent role in Sudan peace efforts
November 23, 2023 (NAIROBI) – A regional conference organised by the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network issued an urgent call for the meaningful participation of Sudanese women in the country’s ongoing peace process.
The call came at the conclusion of the two-day “Feminist Peace and Solidarity Conference: Women Leading Peace,” held in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 22-23, 2023.
The conference, which brought together over 140 participants from across the Horn of Africa and beyond, focused on the unique challenges faced by women and peacemakers during Sudan’s ongoing conflict. Participants highlighted the pervasive violence, war crimes, and human rights violations committed against women, particularly sexual violence, and called for urgent action to address these issues.
SIHA Regional Director Hala Al-Kabrib stated at a press conference concluding the conference that it is essential to establish dialogues among all women, transcending differences, to move forward with a unified agenda.
Al-Kabrib emphasized the need to form feminist groups and bodies to assess the situation, document the extent of atrocities committed against women, and share this information with the world. She also called for communication with all regional and international bodies to hold those responsible for these crimes accountable and take deterrent measures to prevent their recurrence.
The conference’s final statement called for ensuring the effective participation of women and their civil society organizations in a leadership role in all stages of the political processes related to conflict resolution and peace in Sudan.
It also demanded that “gender-based crimes of sexual violence be included in the political process as a core issue, including accountability, transitional justice, and reparations.”
The Solidarity Conference called for the establishment of a court to specifically address war crimes committed, with a focus on violence against women and girls to ensure justice and seriously deal with issues of gender-based sexual violence.
Sudanese political and civil society groups met in Addis Ababa and formed a preparatory mechanism led by former prime minister Abdallah Hamdok to prepare for a general conference to be held in December in principle. The conference has been slammed by women’s groups because the meeting decided to allocate 30% of its representation to women.
The solidarity conference participants also stressed the importance of implementing the recommendations of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to investigate atrocities committed during the war, with a particular focus on gender-based violence. The participants also called on the African Union to take immediate and decisive measures to facilitate the cessation of hostilities and establish a mission to investigate war crimes.