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Amidst a brutal conflict, Sudanese women are raising their voices for urgent action. At the Sudan Women’s Peace Dialogue in Kampala, Uganda, they issued a powerful call to action, demanding greater inclusion in peace processes with a firm insistence on 50 percent representation in all negotiations about the Sudan war. They emphasized that this representation must be meaningful, ensuring women’s voices actively shape decisions impacting their lives.
The two-day dialogue, organized by UN Women and the African Union, brought together a diverse group of Sudanese women with the mission of crafting a vision for a peaceful Sudan and creating a roadmap for achieving lasting peace with gender equality at its core.
Dr. Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, former UN Women Executive Director and a member of the African Union Panel of the Wise, highlighted the urgent need for global attention to Sudan’s humanitarian crisis. She emphasized the severe impact on Sudanese women and children and called for intensified media coverage and international action.
“We need to amplify our messages so that everyone understands the severity of the conflict and the specific vulnerabilities faced by women and children,” Dr. Mlambo Ngcuka stated.
Statistics on the Sudan War
Current statistics on Sudan reveal a grim reality: over 15,000 lives lost, tens of thousands injured, and half of the population 25 million people in dire need of life-saving aid. The displacement crisis has left 10 million people homeless, with women and girls constituting over half of the refugees. Famine looms over parts of the country, threatening up to 2.5 million lives if urgent humanitarian assistance is not provided.
Hodan Addou, the UN Women Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, commended Sudanese women for their extraordinary resilience at the community level, providing critical humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable, including survivors of gender-based violence, despite significant risks to their own safety.
Ugandan Prime Minister Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja echoed these sentiments, urging the women to use their collective power to bring lasting peace. She emphasized the importance of valuing women’s voices and investing in their security to enable them to thrive and contribute to a sustainable future.
“When we empower women, we guarantee the future of our children and our nations. When we empower women, we empower our societies in the most sustainable way. We therefore must invest in the security of our nations for women to thrive in their communities,” said Rt. Hon Nabbanja.
AU’s Efforts in the Sudan War
In January 2024, the African Union established a High-Level Panel on Sudan to facilitate an all-inclusive political dialogue to end the fighting and initiate a process toward lasting peace. Speaking to the Sudanese women at the dialogue, Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, a member of the African Union High-Level Panel on Sudan and former Vice President of Uganda, urged them to use the opportunity to discuss Sudan’s future.
She noted that “the future of millions of Sudanese living in harsh conditions depends on what comes out of the meeting.” She assured the Sudanese women of the African Union’s support.
The Way Foward for Sudanese Women
As Sudan grapples with escalating conflict and a humanitarian crisis, the collective voices of Sudanese women resonate with urgency and determination for peace and protection. Their demands for inclusion and representation underscore a crucial step toward sustainable peacebuilding efforts in the region. The outcomes of the Kampala dialogue will inform upcoming discussions on peacebuilding in Sudan, scheduled for later this month in Ethiopia.
Read More about the Sudan war:
Sudan warring generals agree to US-Saudi-led talk – Somali Magazine