Kilak North Member of Parliament Hon. Akol Anthony has called on the Pan-African Parliament to look beyond the immediate fighting in Sudan and address the deeper historical and political causes that have fuelled conflict in the country.
Speaking during a session of the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa, where he serves as a member, Hon. Akol drew on his own experience as a former abducted child during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict in Northern Uganda to highlight the devastating impact of war on vulnerable communities.
“I know what war means,” Akol said, explaining that he was abducted during the conflict in Northern Uganda and spent approximately six months in captivity.
He said his personal experience has given him a deep understanding of the suffering experienced by civilians caught in armed conflicts, particularly children, women, people with disabilities and the elderly.
Akol said the ongoing conflict in Sudan is having a devastating humanitarian impact, with millions of people displaced from their homes.
“I know the people affected are the children, the women, the disabled and the elderly. They are really suffering,” he said.
Drawing parallels with the experience of communities in Northern Uganda, Akol recalled the conditions in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps during the LRA conflict, where large numbers of people were forced to live in difficult circumstances.
The Kilak North MP urged the Pan-African Parliament committee dealing with the Sudan crisis to investigate the historical roots of the conflict rather than focusing solely on the fighting that erupted in 2023.
According to Akol, the current crisis did not emerge suddenly but followed years of political tensions and previous conflicts.
“What is the root cause of the problem in Sudan? It did not start in 2023,” he said.
He pointed to the history of conflict between what is now South Sudan and Sudan, as well as the war in Darfur, arguing that these earlier crises provide important context for understanding the present situation.
Akol said identifying and addressing warning signs before conflicts escalate is essential to preventing future wars across Africa.
Using the analogy of a drying tree, Akol stressed that solving the visible symptoms of a conflict without addressing its underlying causes will not produce lasting peace.
“There is no way you will see a leaf drying and think the problem is on the leaf. There must be a problem right at the root of the tree,” he said.
He argued that peace efforts in Sudan must therefore examine the political, social and historical factors that have repeatedly contributed to instability.
“If we don't go to the root causes of the problem, we are not going to solve the problem,” Akol warned.
The MP welcomed the committee's focus on the issue, describing the consideration of the underlying causes of the Sudan conflict as a critical step toward finding a sustainable solution.
His remarks come as the Pan-African Parliament continues to engage with the continent's major peace, security and humanitarian challenges, with Sudan remaining one of Africa's most serious ongoing crises.
