Bringing the perspective of a Sudanese civil society activist, AMEL President Mohamed Abubakr shared his story with the U.S. House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and Global Health on April 26, 2017. One of only four witnesses, he was called to testify to the Subcommittee’s "Questionable Case for Easing Sudan Sanctions" hearing alongside representatives from the US Institute of Peace, the Sentry (an initiative of the ENOUGH Project and Not On Our Watch) and the Sudan Relief Fund.

Mr. Abubakr provided a moving account to the Subcommittee co-Chaired by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), speaking from the heart about what drove him to become a human rights activist at the age of only fourteen and the impact of the US and the international community on the very civil society that holds the key to a more peaceful and democratic future for Sudan. Drawing upon his first-hand experience as a human rights activist for more than a decade in Darfur, Khartoum and throughout Sudan before moving to the U.S., Mr. Abubakr sought to bring attention to both the challenges and aspirations of young Sudanese activists seeking to make the country and the region more stable and peaceful.

Mr. Abubakr’s moving testimony can be watched here, or read here, and full transcripts and videos are also available on the Subcommittee’s webpage on the hearing.