Critical Response Event: Sudan

Please join the Cohen Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies for a virtual presentation on the current situation in Sudan by Ms. Hala Al-Karib, the Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network. Under a military dictatorship from 1989 to 2019, the region saw human rights abuses, atrocity crimes, and internal conflict, as well as the creation of the world's newest country, South Sudan. In 2019, a coup in Sudan overthrew President Omar al-Bashir and set off a new civil war. The ensuing humanitarian crisis has resulted in 9 million people displaced internally, historic levels of food insecurity, and widespread disease outbreaks. In January 2025, the US accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of committing genocide in Sudan, citing evidence of systematic targeting of women and children, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.

As part of the Institute’s spring series of Critical Response Events, this event is meant to promote understanding and conversation about emerging and ongoing crises throughout the world. Our spring series is facilitated by Cohen Institute Faculty Affiliate, Dr. Ashley Greene.

About the speaker: Hala Al-Karib was born and raised in Sudan and later lived in Canada. She currently lives and works in Uganda. She has lived and worked in South Sudan, Kenya and Egypt as well the Eastern and Horn of Africa for over 20 years. Hala’s work specifically focuses on women and girls rights activism and social movement as well as refugees and displaced persons and minority community’s challenges. She has wide and comprehensive expertise on the Horn and Eastern Africa regions, as a civil society worker/activist, and social and gender research practitioner. Her educational background is on Human rights, women studies and Psychology. In addition to her work as the Regional Director of SIHA Network, she worked for various international and regional organizations/institutions among them; The College of Social & Economic Studies, Juba University in South Sudan where she worked as a Research Assistant; The sociology department at the American University in Cairo as an Assistant Researcher; Immigrant Women of Saskatchewan Inc. in Canada as the Program Director; Trocaire, an Irish Organization as Grant Officer based in Sudan. She has also worked as a consultant with various international and UN Humanitarian organizations, including; Goal Ireland, World University Services, Accord International and Concern International.
She is a regular contributor to many online and print media outlets. Her writing is focused on activism, women’s rights and social justice. Some of her recent articles are published in: Aljazeera, Open Democracy, Sudan Tribune The Pambazuka, the New Humanitarian and the East African Newspaper. She is the Editorial head of SIHA Journal – Women in Islam in the Horn of Africa (Arabic & English).

This event is hosted by the Cohen Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College. It is part of the Institute’s spring series of Critical Response Events. The webinar is free and open to all; however, advanced registration is required.
Registration is available here.

This event is part of the Cohen Center calendar.