Professor Milena Sterio attended the first round of peace negotiations between the Government of Sudan and one of the Sudan rebel movements, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)-North, in Juba, South Sudan.  Professor Sterio (pictured below right) provided legal expertise and guidance for the ongoing negotiations, as an academic expert and representative of the Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG). 

The PILPG, along with representatives of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, has been involved in mediating the peace talks, and providing legal assistance in terms of identifying compromise positions and drafting legal language to correspond to such compromise positions.  

In October 2020, the Government of Sudan signed a comprehensive peace agreement, the Juba Peace Agreement, with several different rebel groups across Sudan.  SPLM-North did not sign the Juba Peace Agreement, and is instead negotiating currently with the Government of Sudan, in order to develop a separate peace agreement.  Negotiations are likely to continue throughout the summer, and Professor Sterio is continuing to provide legal assistance remotely, and is likely to return to Juba in July or August.