Research Fellows of the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law have been active in Sudan since 2002, continuing on the work of the Global Knowledge Transfer working group of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (MPIL), initiated by Prof. Rüdiger Wolfrum.

In 2005 the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending more than two decades of civil war in Southern Sudan. Based on the CPA an Interim National Constitution was enacted in Sudan granting the region of Southern Sudan considerable governmental, political and fiscal autonomy. Following a referendum in 2011, the South subsequently became independent. Although the Interim National Constitution (INC) remained in force after the separation of the South, since then there has been a debate on revisiting the Sudanese constitution to reflect major developments in law and policy.

In addition to capacity building projects for legal personnel the Max Planck working group also advised on matters relating to constitutional review, legislative reform and mediation. Its efforts have supported the peace negotiations in Machakos leading up to the CPA. In addition the working group’s contributions resulted in the publication of the ‘Heidelberg Darfur Outcome Document’, that contributed to the Darfur Peace Agreement signed in July 2011. The working group has also supported constitutional processes, assisted with technical support to the general elections in 2010 to the referendum in 2011.

The Max Planck Foundation is currently engaged in assisting in capacity building for legal professionals from various departments of the Ministry of Justice and for lawyers and members of the Sudanese Bar Union.

1 April 2014 – 31 July 2014

Prof Dr Rüdiger Wolfrum

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Phone: +49 6221 91404 37
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