Midrand, South Africa – 21 July 2026
The Committee for Justice (CFJ), represented by its Executive Director, Ahmed Mefreh, is participating in the Permanent Committee sittings of the Pan-African Parliament, held at the Parliament’s headquarters in Midrand, South Africa, from 21 to 25 July 2026, following an official invitation from the Pan-African Parliament.
The Permanent Committee sittings are taking place ahead of the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Parliament, scheduled from 27 July to 1 August 2026. The meetings bring together parliamentarians serving on the Parliament’s ten permanent committees to deliberate on key continental issues, receive expert and institutional briefings, and develop evidence-based recommendations supporting the Parliament’s legislative, oversight, and representative mandates.
CFJ’s participation focuses on hearings and discussions concerning the political, humanitarian, and human rights situation in Sudan, particularly those held by the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution and the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
During his participation in the meetings and in side discussions with members of the Pan-African Parliament and representatives of regional institutions, Ahmed Mefreh stressed that the crisis in Sudan requires a more effective and coordinated African response. He called for action that moves beyond general statements and results in concrete parliamentary and political measures to protect civilians, halt violations, ensure humanitarian access, and support justice and accountability processes.
Mefreh warned that the continuation of the conflict in the absence of effective accountability increases the risk of further serious violations against civilians, including killings, indiscriminate attacks, forced displacement, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention. He also highlighted attacks targeting humanitarian workers, journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders.
He emphasized that the Pan-African Parliament, as the continental parliamentary institution of the African Union, has an important political and oversight responsibility regarding the crisis in Sudan. It can contribute to building a unified African position that prioritizes civilian protection, strengthens accountability for the parties to the conflict, and places the demands of victims and affected communities at the centre of any future political process or peace initiative.
Mefreh also called on the Pan-African Parliament to support the Banjul Joint Declaration on Sudan and to promote the inclusion of its recommendations in the Parliament’s deliberations, resolutions, and institutional follow-up. He described the Declaration as an important framework for strengthening cooperation and complementarity between the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan and the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan.
He noted that the Banjul Joint Declaration provides a practical foundation for coordinated action on civilian protection, humanitarian access, sexual and gender-based violence, accountability, the fight against impunity, cooperation with international justice mechanisms, and support for a civilian-led political transition in Sudan.
In this context, CFJ emphasized that complementarity between the African and UN fact-finding missions does not mean merging their mandates or compromising their independence. Rather, it should reduce duplication, improve coordination and information-sharing in accordance with consent and victim- and witness-protection standards, strengthen the documentation of violations, and ensure more effective follow-up to recommendations within both the African Union and United Nations systems.
CFJ called on the Pan-African Parliament to consider several practical steps, including convening a special or extraordinary parliamentary session on Sudan, adopting a clear resolution supporting the implementation of the Banjul Joint Declaration, and strengthening parliamentary oversight of the response of African Union institutions and the Peace and Security Council to the crisis.
The organization also called for regular hearings with Sudanese civil society representatives, victims, and human rights defenders; support for the renewal and adequate resourcing of African and international investigative mechanisms; and sustained pressure on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
Ahmed Mefreh, Executive Director of the Committee for Justice, said:
“The crisis in Sudan is not merely an internal matter. It is a critical test of the ability of African institutions to protect people and respond to serious violations. The Pan-African Parliament has the political legitimacy and convening power to bring African parliamentarians together around a unified position. Its intervention is therefore essential to protect civilians, strengthen accountability, and prevent impunity.”
He added:
“It is necessary to move from expressions of concern to organized institutional action. The Pan-African Parliament can play a central role by supporting the Banjul Joint Declaration, following up on the implementation of its recommendations, hearing directly from Sudanese civil society, and holding African Union institutions accountable for the measures they take to protect civilians and end violations.”
CFJ’s participation forms part of its broader efforts to strengthen engagement between Sudanese civil society and African institutions, promote complementarity between regional and international human rights mechanisms, and support a more coherent and effective African response to the crisis—one that places civilian protection, victims’ rights, justice, and accountability at the forefront.