A group of African human rights campaigners have launched an alliance to support efforts to end the conflict in Sudan and restore civilian rule.
The group, named the Sudan Coalition, was announced at the conclusion of a three-day meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday.
Participants said the alliance would work on a unified African approach to Sudan and support initiatives seeking a negotiated resolution to the conflict. These include efforts led by the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Taking part in the meeting were African human rights campaigners, representatives of charities, diplomats and UN officials. It was organised by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), the Centre for Justice and Accountability in Africa (Ceja) and the Sudan Knowledge Centre.
Hannah Forster, the executive director of the centre, said the new coalition would seek to strengthen African advocacy on Sudan in regional and international forums.
She said the centre was committed to providing the coalition with the support and resources needed to carry out its work. The group's charter is expected to be finalised before the end of the month.
Participants agreed on the need for Sudanese and African civil society organisations to present a unified message to the international community.
The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023 after a power struggle between army chief and de facto ruler Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and RSF commander Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo escalated into open conflict. Fighting began in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading across much of the country.
Estimates of the death toll vary widely, from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. The conflict has also displaced about 14 million people and triggered what the UN describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
In addition to large parts of Darfur, the RSF controls areas of the Kordofan and Blue Nile regions, while the army holds the capital and most of northern, central and eastern Sudan.
Both sides have established rival administrations, with the army-aligned government based in Port Sudan on the Red Sea and the RSF one operating from Nyala in Darfur.
