Sudan Civil Society Forum in Oslo – For a just and lasting peace

Sudan Civil Society Forum in Oslo

More than 50 representatives from Sudanese organisations are to come
together in Oslo from April 7, 9 to discuss ways in which civil society
can contribute to a lasting peace in their homeland.

Minister for Development Hilde Frafjord Johnson will open the conference on
Thursday 7th April at 18:00. Representatives from the parties who signed
Sudan’t peace agreement in January this year, the government in Khartoum
and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), will be holding opening
addresses.

Conference participants will represent a broad spread of political,
cultural and religious groups both from northern and southern Sudan, and
roughly half of the participants are women. The conference is a rare
opportunity for civil society to meet and discuss common challenges for the
years ahead.

The conference is open to the press, and there will be the opportunity to
meet participants in person.

Participants are to elect four delegates to represent the voice of Sudanese
civil society at the international Donors’ Conference for Sudan that is to
be held in Oslo 11, 12 April, which both Kofi Annan and US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice will be attending.

The Sudan Civil Society Forum in Oslo has arranged by Norwegian Church Aid,
Norwegian Peoples’ Aid and Sudan Support Group.

On Sunday, April 10 a press conference will be held giving details of the
conference’s findings. An invitation to this press conference will follow.

For more information, contact:

Stein Erik Horjen, Special Adviser – Peace and Reconciliation, Norwegian Church Aid
– Tel. +47 22 09 28 43, Mob. +47 93 88 14 41
– E-mail: [email protected]

Laurie MacGregor, Press Officer, Norwegian Church Aid
– Tel. +47 22 09 27 32, Mob. +47 47 41 31 15
– E-mail: [email protected]

Ivar Christiansen, Press Officer, Norwegian People’s Aid
– Tel. +47 22 03 77 62 Mob. +47 91 61 08 73
– E-mail: [email protected]

– Website http://english.nca.no/