VZCZCXRO6044
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHKUK RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0071 0181033
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181033Z JAN 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9726
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000071 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF/SE WILLIAMSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN HOSTS ARAB WOMEN'S UNION CONFERENCE 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Sudan Women's General Union (SWGU) hosted in 
Khartoum January 8-10 the fourth annual conference of the Arab 
Women's General Union (AWGU). Sudanese president Omar Hassan 
Al-Bashir addressed delegates at the opening session, promising that 
the Government of Sudan (GOS) will seek to advance women's issues, 
protect their rights, and prevent discrimination against them. 
Despite serious human rights violations against women in war-torn 
regions and a poor history addressing issues such as domestic 
violence, Sudan has a decent record on promoting women within the 
government. End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Conference delegates addressed the promotion of women's 
rights and freedoms, prevention of violence against women, and 
participation by women in the decision-making process. As would be 
expected at a meeting of delegates from Arab states, the conference 
expressed support to the struggle of women in Palestine, Iraq and 
Lebanon.  Participants also called for a campaign to eliminate 
"technological illiteracy" among Arab Women, but warned against the 
dangers of "Cultural Globalization." 
 
¶3. (SBU) President Al-Bashir addressed the delegates and praised the 
SWGU as a highly influential and broad-based organization that 
empowers women.  He highlighted the close relationship between GOS 
and women's organizations.  Al-Bashir assured participants that the 
GOS will work to prevent discrimination or violence against women. 
Attempting to link broader events in the Arab world to his own 
regime's struggles, President Bashir saluted the struggle of all 
Arab women "in Palestine, Golan, Shabaa Farms, Iraq, and those who 
are challenging sanctions." 
 
¶4. (SBU) SWGU is considered the largest women's organization in 
Sudan and was established in 1992 primarily as a "volunteer 
organization" to promote women's issues in the work place, society 
and politics. It has charters in all 26 governorates of Sudan 
including the South. It was granted "Consultative Status" with the 
UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSCO) in 2007. Fatma Khalid Ahmed 
Al-Bashir, President Al-Bashir's first Wife, is the honorary 
president of the SWGU. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Arab Women's General Union (AWGU) is the umbrella 
organization for women's organizations in Arab countries. It was 
established in Cairo, Egypt, in 1944. The AWGU was not active for 
several years following the Gulf War in the 1990's due to the severe 
differences between Arab countries that the war provoked. It resumed 
its activities with an annual conference in Sanaa, Yemen in 2005, 
and followed that with annual conferences in Syria, Algeria, and now 
Khartoum. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comments: In terms of advancement of women to positions in 
government, Sudan has a decent record.  Several women with 
high-level positions in the Government of National Unity attended 
the conference, including: Dr. Samia Ahmed Mohamed, Minister of 
Social Welfare; Ms. Rajaa Khalifa, Secretary General of the Sudan 
Women's Union; and Ms. Amira Al-Fadel, Secretary General of 
Children's Welfare Council.  Historically, it is worth noting that 
Sudan was one of the first countries in the region to appoint female 
judges.  However, the regime's record on preventing violence against 
women in war zones is appalling, which makes its effort to present 
itself as a defender of women's rights less than credible. 
 
FERNANDEZ