THE SUDAN WOMEN PROTEST APPLAUDS THE COURAGEOUS STEPS TAKEN BY THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT TO ACHIEVE “SUDAN-MADE” PEACE

For the first time, a Sudanese top-level official traveled to Kauda in the Nuba Mountains to meet with the leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM North). The significance of this meeting is that this is the first time in decades that Sudanese formal leadership has met publicly with the rebel faction’s leadership inside the boundaries of the country.

Since the fall of the Bashir regime on April 11th 2019, followed by months of protests and violence against civilians and peaceful protesters, which culminated in the June 3rd Khartoum Massacre and the historical peaceful protest of June 30th, SPLM North, under the leadership of Abdel Aziz al Hilu, has maintained a consistent position in providing support to the strong demands of a civilian government that Sudanese people fought for peacefully while bridging cultural and religious divides.

We, of the Sudan Women Protest platform, comprised of women of all backgrounds from across Sudan, appreciate the commitment articulated by Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and Leader Al Hilu to the rights and protection of Sudanese women. We call upon both leaders to follow through on their commitments.

As the Sudan Women Protest, we call on Sudanese actors, political parties and the civil society to own their Peace Process and be empowered to manage their engagement peacefully. We stress that peace belongs to the women, men, girls and boys that have suffered the consequences of wars, hate politics, discrimination and poverty for decades.

As Sudan Women Protest, we continue to demand that the Sudanese Transitional Government under the leadership of Prime Minster Hamdok provides legal and policy frameworks that will protect women and girls across Sudan.

This will support the Sudanese people’s aspiration for justice and equality. In order to end violence against women and girls in Sudan, the government must prioritize the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). Another equally powerful tool that the Sudan government must commit to the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325. UNSCR 1325 will help assert women’s participation in all aspects of peace-building and provide an adequate response to women’s needs and their protection. All the people of Sudan, especially the women and girls, are deserving of sustainable peace in order to rebuild their lives and achieve the potential of their country following decades of tension and conflict.