Sudan Solidarity conference 2023

About this event

Sudan Solidarity Conference 2023

• Stop the generals’ war machines
• Safe passage for refugees
• Solidarity with the struggle for democracy

Saturday 30 September, 11-4.30pm

Doors open 11-11.30 am for refreshments and networking, conference sessions start at 11.30am. In-person and online tickets available

Hamilton House, 4 Mabledon Pl, London WC1H 9BB

Plus speakers from National Education Union, PCS Union, Sudan Uprising Support Group and others.

The war which broke out in Sudan on 15 April is a conflict between two factions of the military regime which seized power in October 2021: the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces militia (which grew out of the Janjaweed paramilitary groups notorious for their role in genocide and ethnic cleansing in Darfur). The revolutionary movement which mobilised millions on the streets and in the workplaces across Sudan to throw out the dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019 has taken a clear stance opposing both sides in the war, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian aid.

The two sides in this war are backed by regional powers allied with Britain: Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel. All have contributed weapons, training, intelligence to one or the other. The British government has also stoked the conflict directly by granting export licenses for military equipment to Sudan worth £188,000 in 2021-22, and by integrating the Rapid Support Forces and other elements of the Sudanese security forces into ‘migration management’ initiatives along with EU states. For acting as Fortress Europe’s proxy border guards, Sudanese government agencies received £187 million in 2017 alone.

Yet the British government has shut the door in the face of people fleeing the war in Sudan. Hundreds of British citizens are trapped in the country, and Sudanese citizens, including those with relatives in Britain, have no way to reach safety here. Meanwhile the government ramps up its racist, divisive rhetoric against “illegal migration”.

This conference will:

• Provide a platform for anti-war voices from Sudan, especially those of trade unionists, resistance committees, revolutionary activists and all those campaigning for democratic, civilian rule.
• Call on foreign governments to stop fuelling the generals’ war machine through diplomatic, military and financial support to the combatants.
• Demand safe passage now for Sudanese refugees and an end to the government’s toxic rhetoric on migration.
• Amplify the demands of the Sudanese revolution for democratic, civilian government and social justice for all.
• Create a space for trade union and activists from different parts of the world to come to come together and strengthen their respective campaigns

Join us on 30 September for panel discussions and campaign workshop sessions. Bring your ideas and energy to help us build a stronger solidarity movement.

Supported by NEU, UCU, PCS, ASLEF , MENA Solidarity and UCU London Region