May 26, 2020
Expert panel briefs Congressional staffers on Sudan
On Tuesday, May 26, the Africa Center hosted a closed Sudan briefing for Congressional staffers who are currently at work on several important pieces of Sudan-related legislation. The private briefing featured remarks from Sudanese Minister of Finance H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Elbadawi and Sudanese Minister of Justice H.E. Nasredeen Abdulbari, followed by an expert panel of DC-based Sudan experts. Africa Center Director of Programs and Studies Ms. Bronwyn Bruton provided introductory remarks before ceding the floor to Senior Fellow Mr. Cameron Hudson to moderate.
The Honorable Ministers outlined the substantial progress made by Sudan’s transitional government since coming to office in September 2019. Updates from Minister Elbadawi revolved around donor financing and Sudan’s economic reform plan. Minister Abdulbari focused his remarks on the status of judicial reform, efforts to dismantle the previous regime, and the negotiation of settlements with US and foreign victims of terrorism.
Following the ministerial panel, Hudson initiated a second panel that featured commentary from three experts on the Sudan: Ms. Lauren Blanchard, specialist in African affairs at the Congressional Research Service; Dr. Suliman Baldo, senior policy advisor at the Enough Project; and Mr. Payton Knopf, advisor to the Africa Program at the US Institute of Peace. Topics under discussion included civil-military relations, the removal of Sudan’s terrorism designation, and the role of regional actors in Sudan. In his closing remarks, Hudson spoke of a narrow window of opportunity to support civilian rule in Sudan and reiterated the importance of robust US engagement with Sudan during this pivotal period.
Image: The United States Capitol Building. (Flickr/ttarasiuk)