Considerations for a workable transitional justice process for Sudan

The report examines Sudan's history of failed transitional justice efforts and proposes a multi-pillar framework—including mental health support, truth-finding, and criminal accountability—to achieve sustainable peace. It emphasizes that while a cessation of hostilities is ideal for full implementation, certain elements like psychosocial support should begin immediately. The authors advocate for a victim-centered, Sudanese-led process that integrates traditional justice mechanisms and maintains a transnational scope to address harms involving South Sudan and the diaspora.

• Sudan has a long history of failed transitional justice attempts where peace agreements mentioned reconciliation but lacked implementation. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) called for a reconciliation and healing process that was never established, and the Abuja Agreement lacked concerted transitional justice initiatives despite some efforts regarding restitution.
• The current conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is viewed as a result of decades of state-sponsored violence and a failure to address past human rights abuses. As of the report's writing, over 150,000 people have been killed and more than 12.5 million displaced.
• The report proposes a comprehensive transitional justice model for Sudan consisting of six major pillars: Truth commissions, Reparation programmes, Structural reforms, Memorials and museums, Criminal prosecution, and Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).
• Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is identified as a critical prerequisite and remedy that should not be contingent on a nationwide ceasefire, as it enables survivors to participate in other transitional processes.
• A workable process must be both national and transnational in scope. The national track would address crimes within Sudan, while a bilateral Sudan–South Sudan track would address legacy and cross-border harms, accounting for the 15 million internally and externally displaced people.
• The report recommends that any future negotiated peace must explicitly commit to accountability and redress to avoid resistance and ensure the process is victim-centered, inclusive of civil society, and incorporates traditional justice mechanisms.

APA

Metekia, T. S., Maunganidze, O. A., Mahdi, M., & Mhlambiso, X. (2025). Considerations for a workable transitional justice process for Sudan. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1768299456648-EAR-53-new.pdf

Chicago

Metekia, Tadesse Simie, Ottilia Anna Maunganidze, Maram Mahdi, and Xhanti Mhlambiso. Considerations for a workable transitional justice process for Sudan. Institute for Security Studies, 2025. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1768299456648-EAR-53-new.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Metekia |first1=Tadesse Simie |last2=Maunganidze |first2=Ottilia Anna |last3=Mahdi |first3=Maram |last4=Mhlambiso |first4=Xhanti |title=Considerations for a workable transitional justice process for Sudan |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2025 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1768299456648-EAR-53-new.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{metekia2025considerations, author = {Metekia, Tadesse Simie and Maunganidze, Ottilia Anna and Mahdi, Maram and Mhlambiso, Xhanti}, title = {{Considerations for a workable transitional justice process for Sudan}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1768299456648-EAR-53-new.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }