Brief | Solidarity Procession for Sudanese Women – Kiryandongo Camp – Republic of Uganda

Youth Parliament – Sudan
Brief | Solidarity Procession for Sudanese Women
4 April 2026
Kiryandongo Camp – Republic of Uganda

On 31 March 2026, Kiryandongo Camp witnessed an unprecedented turnout of tens of thousands of Sudanese women and youth in the “Solidarity with Sudanese Women” march. This event reflects the strength of civil society and its determination to manage its own affairs and future, despite the absence of the state and the weakness of traditional humanitarian systems. The march represents a tangible declaration of the right to direct participation in decision-making and local development, placing women and youth at the heart of creating developmental and political solutions, and affirming that civil and political participation is not a luxury but a necessity for preserving life, peace, and dignity.

The march demonstrated that women and youth are a productive and active force, managing a comprehensive economic cycle within the camps, including small-scale trade, supply, and essential services, which ensures the continuity of daily life and forms a foundation for any future economic transition. The march also coincided with the inauguration of the Parliament School, the first educational institution established and managed through direct community funding by the refugees themselves, sending a clear message rejecting the deliberate denial of education for an entire generation and affirming the community’s right to develop its educational and service infrastructure.

The march raised a decisive voice against the use of women’s bodies as battlefields and called for the activation of independent protection mechanisms led by women themselves, to monitor violations and prevent gender-based violence and aid exploitation. Field monitoring revealed the absence of specialized healthcare in the camps, including maternal, child, and psychological support, turning the “right to health” into a missing luxury. The initiative therefore called for the establishment of community-managed clinics and health centers to secure the right to health and dignity.

The march emphasized that the immediate end of war is a first step toward a civil democratic transition that guarantees women and youth genuine participation in drafting laws and the constitution, including the right to veto any agreement that does not protect the historical rights of civil society. This event affirms the Youth Parliament’s ability to localize solutions and lead developmental, service, and community projects that grow from within the community outward, with the potential to continue even after international support ceases.

The march recognized that women’s and youth solidarity networks form the backbone of community survival, managing food, neighborhood health, protection, and the local grassroots economy in the absence of the state and with limited access for major organizations. Field data confirmed that these local initiatives deserve direct support from international relief and development programs to strengthen the economic and social independence of women and youth.
The Kiryandongo march received broad local and international solidarity. Accompanying events demonstrated support from the Sudanese diaspora, civil society institutions, and were praised by UN agencies and human rights organizations, including the U.S. Department of State, for the innovative and effective civil response model established by the march. This solidarity reinforced the march’s national and international legitimacy and affirmed that international partners can actively engage in supporting locally-led solutions.

What was achieved in Kiryandongo represents a new mandate for partnership with the international community. Therefore, we call on all local and international actors to:

1- Acknowledge the field realities established by the Sudanese themselves;

2- Strengthen the community “infrastructure of survival”;

3- Support schools and small-scale projects managed by women and youth through direct and flexible funding mechanisms;

4- Initiate a technical dialogue to exchange field data and design joint programs that ensure the sustainability of services and local capacity development.

End