The event, held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, served as a platform to update civil society both within and outside The Gambia on the ongoing human rights violations in Sudan. Participants engaged in discussions aimed at identifying areas of joint advocacy to ensure accountability in Sudan.
The gathering fostered dialogue among civil society stakeholders, facilitating the exchange of ideas and recommendations to support Sudan in its journey towards peace and stability.
Ms Thani Abbas, the founder of the organisation for combating SVAW&G, delivered a comprehensive discourse on the prevailing sexual violence within the context of armed conflict, expressing her appreciation for the opportunity to participate in the meeting.
She articulated the manifold injustices endured by women in Sudan, elucidating their protracted struggle for fundamental rights.
Ms Abbas underscored the distressing frequency of sexual violence, notably rape, which tragically leads to unwanted pregnancies and fatalities.
She poignantly highlighted the harrowing reality of underage girls being coerced into marriage as young as 10 years old, resulting in loss of life and economic stability. Despite these adversities, perpetrators often evade accountability, leaving victims devoid of justice. In light of these challenges, Ms Abbas fervently appealed to the African Union and civil society actors to intervene and provide much-needed assistance to alleviate the dire circumstances in Sudan.
Mr Mohammed Badawi, the Monitoring and Documentation Director for the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies, provided a comprehensive overview of the armed conflict in Sudan, detailing the patterns of violations based on statistics gathered by unions in the country.
He lamented the escalating number of rape cases, emphasising the dire consequences for young girls and women, many of whom face unplanned pregnancies without adequate healthcare or support systems.
Mr Badawi decried the prevalence of sexual transmission problems and illnesses resulting from these assaults, noting the arbitrary abuse inflicted upon women by men.
He called upon all peace organisations to address and take action on this critical issue, highlighting the alarming levels of violence that have resulted in the destruction of homes, injuries to infants and women, and overwhelmed hospitals lacking sufficient healthcare facilities.
