Staff Reporter
THE Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has called for an immediate end to the conflict in Sudan and recommended the convening of an extraordinary session dedicated to developing a roadmap for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, as concerns grow over the conflict’s security and humanitarian consequences.
The recommendation was contained in a report presented by Namibia’s Head of Delegation to the Pan-African Parliament and Chairperson of the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution, Phillipus Wido Katamelo, during the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa.
The report, which was the first to be tabled during the inaugural sitting of the Seventh Pan-African Parliament, examined the ongoing security crisis in Sudan, the humanitarian impact of the conflict, and the need for coordinated regional and international efforts to restore peace.
Members of Parliament unanimously supported the report, calling for urgent dialogue, humanitarian intervention and an end to hostilities between the parties involved in the conflict.
Katamelo said the committee had engaged with various stakeholders, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Open Society Foundations and Sudan’s Ambassador to South Africa, Osman Abu Fatima, during a joint hearing held on 21 July.
The committee recommended stronger cooperation among Sudan’s neighbouring countries and regional bodies, including the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and relevant regional economic communities, to support a unified approach towards ending the conflict.
It further called on neighbouring states to prevent their territories, borders and entry points from being used for the movement of foreign fighters, private military personnel, arms and other military supplies in violation of international obligations.
The report also commended countries hosting large numbers of Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers, while calling on the international community to provide increased financial, material and technical support to host countries and communities.
It urged states to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and ensure safe and dignified access to asylum procedures, registration and basic services for Sudanese refugees in line with international refugee conventions.
The committee also condemned violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law committed by parties to the conflict, including attacks on civilians, unlawful killings, ethnically motivated violence and attacks on humanitarian and medical personnel.
Katamelo said there must be no impunity for perpetrators of such violations and called for cooperation with ongoing and future investigations, including those conducted under the framework of the International Criminal Court.
Meanwhile, Namibia’s representative to the Pan-African Parliament, Rodney Cloete, contributed to the debate on the report, highlighting the importance of democratic oversight of security institutions across Africa.
Cloete said security sectors had historically focused on protecting state institutions and territorial integrity, but that changing threats such as terrorism, cybercrime, organised crime and private armed groups required stronger accountability mechanisms.
“Security therefore reaches citizens through ordinary encounters at roadblocks, at border posts, a public demonstration, a prison, or when a family reports a crime,” Cloete said.
He supported the committee’s recommendation that the Pan-African Parliament develop model parliamentary rules for security sector oversight, arguing that effective oversight requires access to information, authority, research capacity and control over public expenditure.
Photo: Parliament of the Republic of Namibia
