Sudanese Civil Society Strategic Meeting on Monitoring Elections

Contact: Osman Hummaida, Executive Director at
Phone: +44-2032872745
E-mail: osman@acjps.org

Contact: Edmond Yakani, SuNDE, at
Phone: +256-477154122
E-mail: gracelandyei@yahoo.com

(Nairobi 17 February 2010) On the initiative of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), a workshop was held in Nairobi Kenya from 12-14 February 2010. The workshop focused on strategies for Sudanese civil society to observe the upcoming elections. Thirty six individuals from the South, North, East and Darfur regions participated. The participants included members of the four main networks accredited to monitor the elections (Tamam, Shams, SuNDE, and SuDEMOP) along with human rights lawyers, journalists and representatives of other civil society groups.

The aim of the workshop was to put a strategic framework in place to enhance the participation of the Sudanese people in the election process, its observation and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Osman Hummaida, Executive Director of ACJPS said:

This session was held at a time when there is serious concern about the potential for fair and free elections and the commitment to the holding the upcoming referendum and popular consultations in a way that will allow the genuine will of the people to be expressed. We have to focus our efforts on ensuring that these two historical landmarks advance democratic transformation in Sudan and are not a flashpoint for violence and human rights violations.

The participants discussed ways to enhance collaboration and networking between the groups and also to set priorities for civic education and observation of the election, as well as the means of using technology for election observation.

Edmond Yakani of SuNDE said:

This meeting comes at a critical time where we need to coordinate the resources and efforts of civil society to observe the election, particular in areas which cannot be reached by traditional observation mechanisms. As civil society we need to play a vigorous role in addressing factors which might encourage violence around the elections.

Albaquir Alafif of the Tamam network explained that the workshop discussed and put in place detailed strategies on how to observe the upcoming elections. He further explained that the strategy will take a positive approach in dealing with all the main stakeholders including the National Elections Commission, the political parties and international observers.

The workshop concluded by setting up three coordination groups one of accredited elections observers, another for media and journalists and a third of lawyers. The membership in these coordination groups will be open to individuals who did not attend the session. Finally, the session emphasised that the observation of the elections in Sudan, of such critical importance and taking place over such a large area, require coordination of efforts and resources.