This April, Sudan marked a double anniversary: one of the 2019 revolution that toppled President Omar al Bashir’s decades-long repressive regime, the other of the 2023 outbreak of the ongoing civil war that has devastated the country. These contrasting occasions bring with them great hopes and deep pain. They also raise pressing questions: How long will Sudan have to suffer while the world’s attention seems turned the other way? How long will the voices of Sudanese who yearn for peace and justice continue to be sidelined?
On April 11, 2019, President Omar Al-Bashir was ousted from power following months of peaceful mass street protests demanding freedom, justice, and peace. The moment was a pivotal one in the country’s history. After years of struggle and sacrifice, Sudan finally took its first major steps toward ending decades of successive dictatorships and overlapping conflicts, building a democratic society, and delivering justice.
Four years later, almost to the day, efforts to realize the peaceful, just, and civilian-led future that ordinary Sudanese called for during the revolution and ensuing transitional period came to an abrupt halt. Another brutal war began, which quickly engulfed the entire nation. It brought about a bitter and heartbreaking reality in which, once again, millions of Sudanese are caught in the middle of ruthless fighting and subjected to human rights violations on a staggering scale.
According to the United Nations, Sudan now represents both the worst humanitarian and worst displacement crises in the world. Violence over the past two years has killed or wounded hundreds of thousands of Sudanese men, women, boys, and girls. About half of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, and one in every three Sudanese is displaced. Famine has been declared in 10 areas, while reports of genocide have emerged in the country for the second time in two decades. Children are the most affected, as the conflict will likely have long-term adverse effects on their physical and mental health, social development, and education. Yet, global media have largely underreported on this unfolding tragedy.
For its part, ICTJ has been active in Sudan since before the transitional period, supporting the Sudanese people in their aspirations for comprehensive transitional justice that addresses the root causes and consequences of the country’s multiple crises. In Sudan, such a transitional justice process must consider society’s diversity and contribute to an inclusive national conversation aimed at building consensus on the way forward. ICTJ has fostered inclusive dialogue in Sudan by providing technical advice to the transitional government and by convening strategic discussions that bring together stakeholders from all regions and across societal, ethnic, political, and ideological divides.
ICTJ has also trained a wide range of Sudanese actors on transitional justice issues and tools. This includes victims and their families; representatives from civil society organizations, women’s associations, political parties, and resistance groups; as well as journalists, artists, educators, and mental health professionals. ICTJ believes Sudanese from all walks of life should have a say in their country’s future and ownership of any transitional justice process.
Throughout these two years of conflict, Sudanese stakeholders have continued to prioritize truth, justice, and repair, recognizing that the unaddressed injustices of the past are what drives the violence today. ICTJ has provided the space for Sudanese to reflect on lessons from the country’s transitional period and begin developing innovative strategies and transitional justice measures. While the war is ongoing, setting a civilian-led agenda for ending pervasive impunity, providing redress to victims, and uncovering the truth need not wait. Such an agenda is an essential condition for building a cohesive society that can overcome the past and prevent future cycles of violence.
On this fraught double anniversary, ICTJ renews its commitment to support the Sudanese people in their pursuit of justice, peace, and the restoration of democratic civilian rule. The international community, academics, journalists, artists, and everyday people should not turn a blind eye to the tragic situation in Sudan. Instead, we should stand together and call for a political solution to stop the war and establish an inclusive transitional justice process informed by the priorities of the Sudanese people. Sudan deserves the world’s attention and concrete action to end the violence and realize its people’s aspirations for a peaceful, just, and democratic future.
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PHOTO: Sudanese people gather in front of government buildings in Khartoum to celebrate the final signing of the draft constitutional declaration between military and civil representatives on April 19, 2019. (Voice of America/Wikimedia Commons)
