PAP Debates Peace and Security in Africa, Focuses on Sudan Crisis and Global Tolerance Agenda

The second day of the ongoing sitting of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) was marked by intense debate, impassioned appeals, and deep reflection on the state of peace and security across the continent, with particular attention to the worsening conflict in Sudan and the global agenda for tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Presided over by H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, President of the Pan-African Parliament, the day’s proceedings brought together parliamentarians, ambassadors, and international peace advocates to deliberate under the overarching theme “Peace, Security, and Tolerance in Africa.”

Expert Briefing on the Sudan Crisis

The first presentation of the day was delivered virtually by Mr. Moses Christos Foguero, a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Services based in Addis Ababa. His detailed briefing painted a sobering picture of the Sudanese conflict, describing it as “not one war, but many conflicts in one.”

Mr. Foguero explained that before the 2023 outbreak between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), multiple sub-national conflicts had already destabilized Darfur and Kordofan. The new confrontation, he warned, had transformed Sudan into a patchwork of rival territorial zones, with the RSF controlling the western regions and the SAF holding much of the east.

Over 25 million Sudanese are at risk of famine and more than 10 million displaced, he said, adding that the situation is being exacerbated by “external actors fueling the conflict through arms, logistics, and illicit resource extraction.” He cited evidence of regional interference by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Russia, while calling for a coordinated African-Union-led intervention to avert a full state collapse.

Foguero recommended that the Pan-African Parliament use parliamentary diplomacy to mobilize continental consensus, strengthen engagement with the AU Peace and Security Council, and press for targeted sanctions against individuals and entities profiting from Sudan’s mineral and humanitarian exploitation.

Address by the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace

The second presentation was given by H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Johan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace (GCTP), who outlined his organization’s mission to promote education, dialogue, and intercultural understanding as foundations of durable peace.

Al-Johan introduced the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP), comprising parliamentarians from over 120 countries, including 80 from Africa, and highlighted the Council’s partnerships with more than 50 universities offering academic programmes on tolerance and peace studies.

“We do not talk politics,” he emphasized. “We talk preventive diplomacy: how we can live together and work together for the good of humanity.”

The presentation included a short video showcasing the Council’s international sessions in Comoros, Morocco, Cambodia, Chad, and the UAE, and the launch of the Universal Peace Charter. Al-Johan invited PAP and African national parliaments not yet affiliated to join the IPTP, affirming that “tolerance is not a new idea: it is our shared human heritage.”

Briefing by the Sudanese Ambassador

The chamber then heard a moving statement from H.E. Osma Abou Fatima Adam Mohamed, Ambassador of Sudan to South Africa. Expressing sorrow for the victims of what he described as “massacres and genocide in Al-Fashr and Anfasheh,” he appealed for solidarity with the Sudanese people and stronger action from African institutions.

The Ambassador accused RSF militias of atrocities against civilians, including mass killings and sexual violence, and alleged the involvement of foreign sponsors in perpetuating the war.
“Fifteen million of our citizens have been displaced, and thousands slaughtered,” he said. “Africa must not remain silent while genocide is unfolding on African soil.”

Passionate Exchanges and Calls for Restraint

The Ambassador’s remarks triggered a wave of emotional reactions. Some Members objected to direct references to certain states, prompting President Charumbira to intervene and remind Members that parliamentary debate must remain tolerant and issue-focused.

“This Parliament is a house of dialogue,” he said. “We must confront sensitive issues with calm and maturity, not anger. Leadership demands listening, even when we disagree.”

As debate intensified, allegations of bullying by support staff of a delegation were raised, leading the Sergeant-at-Arms to intervene on the instruction of the Chair. The Bureau directed that the concerned staff member be identified and investigated, with a full report to be submitted to the Bureau to preserve decorum and institutional discipline within the Chamber.

Despite occasional tension, the debate was hailed as one of the most candid and substantive in recent sessions, demonstrating PAP’s willingness to tackle Africa’s most pressing peace and security challenges head-on.

Regional and Thematic Interventions

During the general debate, Members made a series of impassioned interventions:

·       North African MPs reiterated support for the Sahrawi people and criticized what they described as attempts to distort long-standing decolonization questions.

·       Southern and East African Members expressed solidarity with Sudanese civilians and called for the creation of a PAP Sub-Committee on Peace and Tolerance under the Committee on Cooperation, to work with the GCTP and the AU on conflict prevention.

·       Other speakers urged the establishment of a PAP fact-finding mission to Sudan to document atrocities, trace illicit arms networks, and recommend targeted AU sanctions against individuals and corporations profiting from war economies.

One delegate captured the mood of the chamber, declaring:

“Politics builds peace, or it destroys it. When politics arms militias and hides behind silence, it becomes complicity. Let our record show that on this day, Africa refused to look away.”

Commitments and Next Steps

In his closing remarks, President Charumbira commended Members for their robust engagement and reaffirmed PAP’s commitment to African-led peacebuilding. He announced that the Bureau would explore the feasibility of a PAP-AU joint fact-finding mission to Sudan, and requested the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution to work on formalizing collaboration with the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace.

The session ended with a renewed call for continental unity and moral leadership.

“The Pan-African Parliament,” the President concluded, “must be the voice of Africa’s conscience: a Parliament that transforms empathy into action and dialogue into peace.”

Key Takeaways

·       Sudan conflict dominates plenary, with urgent appeals for AU-coordinated humanitarian intervention.

·       PAP invited to join global tolerance partnerships through the GCTP and IPTP.

·       Debate underscores the need for parliamentary diplomacy and African-led solutions to conflicts.

·       Alleged bullying incident investigated, with Bureau oversight to uphold decorum.

·       Bureau to consider: fact-finding mission, partnership frameworks, and disciplinary recommendations.