Post-Revolution Sudanese Security Sector Reform and Social Transformation

The Institute of World Politics

This event is part of The African Strategic Forum sponsored by The Institute of World Politics. About the lecture: As Sudan transitions to a more transparent, civilian rule, and democratic governance, its Sudan Sovereignty Council civilian and military leadership in Khartoum will be tested on its willingness to dismantle and reform its security sector. The process of building a strong civil society and preparing the country for elections in the next two years will be scrutinized by the global community and other regional stakeholders. This panel will discuss what steps will increase the likelihood of a successful transition and reformed security sector. About the panelist: Dr. Linda Bishai is an adjunct professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs and a Research Staff Member on the Africa Team at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA). She works on a wide range of international security issues including African regional economic communities, security cooperation in Africa, and monitoring instability in central and southern Africa. She has twenty years of experience in teaching, training and writing on international law, peacebuilding and security sector reform, and preventing/countering violent extremism. In her previous positions at the American Bar Association and at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Bishai designed and delivered programs on preventing election violence in Sudan and South Sudan, civic education and higher education reform in Sudan, and women’s role in preventing violent extremism in Nigeria and Kenya. As Director of North Africa programs at USIP, Bishai facilitated dialogues on just and sustainable security sector responses to violent extremism and border security in the Sahel and the Maghreb. As Director of Research, Evaluation and Learning at the ABA Rule of Law Initiative, Bishai oversaw the activities of a team of legal researchers and monitoring & evaluation professionals.Bishai has maintained an active academic profile and has taught courses in international relations, international law and human rights. Bishai holds a B.A. in history and literature from Harvard University, a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and LLM in international law from the University of Stockholm, and a Ph.D. in international relations from the London School of Economics. Dr. Sarah Detzner is a consultant based in Washington, D.C. Her research and consulting work, on behalf of various governments, multilateral institutions, and think tanks and foundations, is focused on security sector reform, particularly monitoring and evaluation as well as the role of civil society and other forms of participation in post-conflict security sector reconstruction efforts. Previously, she served in the Obama administration as a speechwriter for former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, campaigned as an Obama 2008 staffer, and worked with the National Democratic Institute in Washington, D.C., Lebanon, and Jordan. She received her doctorate from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and is a fellow of the World Peace Foundation. About the coordinator and moderator: Prof. Hashem Mekki, MA, has taught Arabic Language, Culture & Middle East Media at IWP since 2012. He is the owner of Bridge Language Solutions, providing an array of language translation, interpretation and teaching services to the Washington DC metropolitan area, and the founder of Kele Global, a nonprofit organization that promotes education, health, and economic empowerment in the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. He also teaches Arabic language to federal employees & professionals at the National Nuclear Security Administration at the Department of Energy.