The APRM Sudan Review Mission led by Ambassador Ashraf Rashed and being conducted by a team of experts were divided into five groups visiting different states in various regions of the country. The visits included the states of El Gezira, River Nile, Kassala, Kordufan and Darfur. The lead panel member accompanied by the Focal Point of Sudan Dr Ibrahim Dagash and APRM Experts visited El- Gezira state on the 8th and 9th November 2016. During the visit, they held a meeting with representatives of all stakeholders; women, lawyers, trade unions, businessmen, youth and state ministers.

The meeting also included stakeholders from the neighboring states of Blue Nile, White Nile and Senar. The discussions addressed various issues among which were; the APRM process in Sudan and objectives of the mission; the federal government system and decentralization in Sudan; the results of the national dialogue; federal and state economic policies with particular emphasis on the El Gezira project; the recent economic policy decisions taken by the central government and the impact of western sanctions. The discussion also included the role of youth, women and Small and Medium Enterprise.

The mission further held a meeting with the Wali (Governor) of El Gezera state, who outlined the state’s policies aimed at attracting investment, improving public services and the key challenges facing the state. The Review Team later met with the Speaker of the State Parliament with the participation of chairpersons of parliamentary committees and some Members of Parliament.

In all meetings the participant demonstrated great interest in the value of the APRM process, providing critical insights into governance in Sudan.