Sudan
The Elders are contributing to the promotion of peace, justice, human rights and democracy in Sudan.
"We chose to go to Sudan for The Elders’ first mission because we could not turn our eyes from the humanitarian crisis, and we wanted to join with the many people around the world who have worked to stop the atrocities, protect the people, and contribute to peace. Our mission offered us a chance to listen, learn and report on the views of the people of Sudan."
The Elders
Sudan is faced with many complex and interlinked challenges – a humanitarian crisis, internal conflict, breaches of human rights and threats to the full and effective implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which brought the country’s decades-long civil war between North and South Sudan to an end in 2005.
Four of the Elders – Archbishop Tutu, Lakhdar Brahimi, Jimmy Carter and Graça Machel – visited Sudan in October 2007 to draw the world’s attention to the region’s humanitarian tragedy. The Elders met political leaders from North and South Sudan, political party representatives, UN agencies, African Union and diplomats. During a trip to Darfur the Elders met tribal leaders, women’s groups, civil society leaders and internally displaced persons. The Elders called for an end to the atrocities and the displacement of millions of people and greater protection for the victims of ongoing violence.
In July 2008 the Elders joined with more than thirty human rights groups, think tanks and NGOs to call for the urgent deployment of helicopters to peacekeepers in Darfur to protect civilians caught up in the conflict. The Elders helped to draw worldwide attention to the fact that peacekeepers were lacking in critical resources, thereby putting the lives of innocent civilians at stake.
In March 2009 the Elders spoke out against the Government of Sudan’s expulsion of 13 international aid agencies and the closure of several Sudanese NGOs. This came in response to the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir for crimes against humanity and war crimes in connection with the conflict in Darfur. The lives of millions of Sudanese who receive critical services and medical and food supplies were put at risk as a result of the expulsion.
The Elders continue to follow developments in Sudan closely. They act whenever they can to ensure that the views of the Sudanese people are heard by their government and the international community – to help build a culture of peace, tolerance and dignity for all.
