Mohaned is a human rights lawyer who worked with us on many cases in Sudan until he was forced to leave the country due to government-sanctioned harassment as a result of his work. As CSW’s UN Officer, I had the great honour of accompanying Mohaned at the UN in Geneva as he spoke about his country during a momentous time in its history.
A critical time for Sudan
‘When I put my suit and tie on the morning I went to the UN for the first time, I cried. I was doing something that I used to do, and it brought me back to myself.’ - Mohaned
CSW facilitated Mohaned’s attendance at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), where our advocacy focused on urging the HRC to hold an urgent debate on the human rights situation in Sudan, and commission an independent international fact-finding mission to investigate violations that had occurred across the country during the recent protests - most notably in June 2019. As you may have read in the last issue of Response, this was a critical time for Sudan, as months of protests led to the removal of President Omar Al-Bashir and a transition to a civilian-led government.
Together, we attended numerous meetings so that Mohaned could update UN officials and country representatives on the situation in Sudan, and urge them to take action to keep the human rights situation in Sudan on the HRC’s agenda.
Having been forced to leave Sudan because of his work defending victims of freedom of religion or belief violations such as Meriam Ibrahim, Mohaned had wondered how he could continue advancing human rights and justice in his homeland. Coming to the UN and using his expertise to testify about the situation provided the perfect opportunity for him to continue his vital work.
‘It felt like I was doing something very important for my country. I was a voice for victims, martyrs and elders – I took pride in speaking for them, and doing what I feel I was put here to do. And CSW gave me the opportunity.’ - Mohaned
Speaking out at a critical time
Mohaned’s invaluable expertise provided an important counter-narrative to that of the former regime. With his first-hand experience not only as a lawyer in Sudan but also as a Sudanese national, he was able to express the need for UN action to support the transition towards a new Sudan where democracy and human rights are respected. Mohaned was able to share knowledge and provide crucial analysis of the violations being committed against peaceful protestors, drawing from his work as a human rights monitor, and having received videos and other forms of documentation.
He was also able to speak to the wider context of abuses including the injustices that religious minorities are facing
and the tactics used by security forces in targeting them, including intrusive interference in church affairs. He also described the harassment and threats he had experienced himself due to his human rights work. Mohaned’s personal experiences and insights brought a fresh dimension to our work on Sudan at the UN.
By bringing Mohaned to the UN, we enabled him to be a voice for Sudan’s religious minorities at a critical moment in his country’s history.
New regime, new future?
We’ve already seen positive outcomes at the UN since Mohaned’s visit: a new resolution on Sudan was adopted in September 2019, and the new government has approved the opening of a UN country office to monitor the human rights situation and support transitional justice. In even more encouraging news, investigative mechanisms are being put in place to report on violations against protesters - including the violent clearing of the sit-in site in Khartoum on 3 June - and bring criminal charges against those responsible.
‘The future for Sudan will be even more difficult. We have a new regime with a government that represents the revolution, and many of our friends from that UN session are in positions of power now. However, we cannot relax.’ - Mohaned
Claire Denman, UN Officer