Urged Germany to take lead in the efforts to end the war Successful Visit of a Civil Society Delegation to Germany
Germany:Alsudnianews
A Delegation of Sudanese civil society organizations concluded a four-day visit to Germany, meeting German government officials, experts, and humanitarian organizations to discuss the humanitarian and political situation in Sudan.
The delegation began its visit with a meeting in the German Parliament (Bundestag) with a group of experts and representatives of humanitarian organizations working in Sudan, attended by three members of parliament. The meeting was held at the invitation of MP Norbert Altenkamp. Participants heard testimonies from several humanitarian organizations about the gravity of the situation in Sudan, particularly concerning internally displaced persons and refugees. The testimonies highlighted the decline in international support, which could lead to a further deterioration of conditions. Several attendees called on the German parliament to play a larger role in urging the government and members of the European Union to press for a ceasefire and to increase and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected.
The delegation also met with Serap Güler, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, and Bärbel Kofler, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development The discussions focused on the humanitarian situation in Sudan due to the war, and the need to work toward ending the conflict and facilitating access to aid. The two German officials pledged to place the situation in Sudan at the top of the German government’s priorities and to work with allies to pressure the warring parties, as well as the countries that fund and support the continuation of the conflict, to end the war and achieve peace in Sudan. The delegation also met Ms. Imme Scholz, President of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
The delegation participated in a conference organized by a group of German and international organizations concerned with the war in Sudan and its political and humanitarian repercussions. Members of the delegation attended and participated in all the sessions, with some taking part on the main conference platform, which discussed all political and humanitarian aspects of the war in Sudan. Participants in the conference sessions included Mr. Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council and former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs; Ms. Annette Weber, European Union Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa; as well as several German and European experts, alongside a number of Sudanese activists living in Germany.
It is worth noting that representatives of Sudanese civil society organizations brought with them messages reflecting the views of 35 organizations that had met twice in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, facilitated by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, established by Germany’s Green Party. These messages called for ending the war by pressuring the different parties and the countries supporting them, expediting a ceasefire or humanitarian truce, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected. The joint messages also called on Germany and EU countries to actively engage in international and regional efforts aimed at ending the war and achieving peace—through the Quartet and the African Union—while emphasizing the importance of listening to civil voices and involving them in negotiation processes.
