Uganda calls for stronger action against violence on Sudanese women

Uganda has urged regional and international actors to intensify efforts to protect Sudanese women and girls facing escalating physical and digital violence as Sudan’s war enters its third year.

Speaking at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Dr Edith Namutebi, who heads the Regional Peace and Security Department at Uganda’s foreign affairs ministry, called for urgent, co-ordinated action to confront what she described as “an unprecedented, multi-layered assault” on women trapped in the conflict.

Namutebi delivered the remarks on December 5, 2025, while officially opening a Sudan-focused convening organised by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region – Regional Training Facility (ICGLR-RTF), which brought together Sudanese women refugees, civil society actors and regional delegates.

Namutebi said current estimates indicate that 12.1 million people, a quarter of Sudan’s population, are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence. Since December 2024, reported GBV cases seeking services have surged by 288%.

“When life leaves you with nothing, and then you are tormented with your body, that is a different kind of war,” she said. “We are witnessing violence not only in the physical world but increasingly in the digital sphere.”

She highlighted growing online attacks on women activists, including the public posting of their names, family details, and locations by hostile actors, a tactic she warned is being used to intimidate and silence women calling for peace.

Refugee women praised for courage

Visibly emotional at moments during her address, Namutebi paid tribute to Sudanese women who fled from Khartoum, Cairo, Juba, Nairobi and other locations before finding safety in Kampala.

“You have elevated yourselves to associate with us, and that we highly appreciate,” she said. “Culture tells you to keep quiet, but when you stand up and say, ‘Let us speak,’ we cannot take that for granted.”

She recounted a conversation with a Sudanese woman who previously worked at Sudan’s ministry of finance before fleeing, saying her story nearly brought her to tears.

Namutebi emphasised that the outcomes of the Kampala deliberations will directly feed into discussions at the African Union’s 6th High-Level Women, Peace and Security Forum, scheduled for next week in Tunisia.

“This room may look small, but it hosts very big people,” she said. “Your experiences and demands for justice will be carried to the highest level of continental decision-making.”

She urged participants to fully engage in drafting “a compelling and clear resolution that no decision-maker can ignore.”

A call for solidarity and continental leadership

Namutebi praised the ICGLR Regional Training Facility for convening the platform and for its work in addressing sexual and gender-based violence and supporting mental health among conflict survivors.

She also appealed to women to draw inspiration from the historical roles played by women’s movements in Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and elsewhere on the continent.

“Do not underestimate yourselves,” she said. “Women have pushed peace processes before, and you can do it again.”

Uganda reaffirms support for Sudanese people

Opening the workshop, she reaffirmed Uganda’s solidarity with Sudan and expressed hope for a ceasefire and lasting peace.

“We pray for the restoration of peace and stability in Sudan. May God bless Africa,” she concluded.

The two-day workshop, attended by Sudanese refugee women, regional officials and civil society representatives focused on drafting a unified position on combating digital violence, enhancing protection, and strengthening justice mechanisms for Sudanese women and girls affected by the ongoing war.

The conference held till Saturday was held under the Global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence (GBV) and themed: Unite to End Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict: Sudanese Women’s Voices for Peace, Protection and Justice.

One of the Sudanese women New Vision Online spoke to is Rayan Abdullah Mohammed Adam from North Darfur.

“I came here because of the war in Sudan. I am from Gadrat Initiative Feminism. We are working on a project especially for women and girls in North Darfur,” she said.

She decried the persistent sexual harassment and other misfortunes women in her country have had to endure over the past three years and called on support from other countries to restore peace in Sudan.

“We know the effect of war, especially on women and children. Women in Sudan are suffering a lot from violence. We have, like many different forms of violence there.
Harassment, sexual violence. But I think this meeting is very important for me to know or to show our problems there in Sudan. Or in my region, especially in Darfur,” she lamented.

Other notable speakers at the conference included Juma Kunda and Winston Obeka, who represented PEPSSI. The two constituted a panel of experts and discussed the geo-political and digital landscape update with a focus on Sudan and the region.

REPSSI stands for the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative, a non-profit organisation that works to improve the social and emotional well-being of children and youth in East and Southern Africa.

The organisation achieves this by developing and providing psychosocial support (PSS) tools and resources, and by integrating PSS into health, education, and community programs to help children and their families cope with challenges like poverty, conflict, and HIV/AIDS.

ICGLR-RTF hosted various sessions on digital violence in the Sudan conflict, led by digital safety specialists.

Besides, plenary reflection,s other sessions included mapping risks and protection needs and group work.