Civitas Maxima is extending its work to Sudan, where the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Sudan now joins Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Iraq and Syria among the countries where we pursue accountability for international crimes. You can read more on our new Sudan page.
Since April 2023, the conflict has forced about 11.3 million people from their homes. Both parties have been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the atrocities committed by the RSF against non-Arab communities in and around El Fasher bore the hallmarks of genocide.
Our approach
Working with local partners, civil society, and affected communities, we are exploring both corporate and individual routes to accountability. This includes looking at links between the conflict and the trade in natural resources and the supply of weapons, and supporting universal jurisdiction efforts in Sudan’s neighboring countries.
In August 2026, together with other international justice organizations, we filed an amicus curiae brief with the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Kashef v. BNP Paribas. The brief supports Sudanese plaintiffs who argue that the bank’s financial services to the former government helped enable grave human rights violations.
Meeting Sudanese lawyers in London
One of our first steps has been to meet the people already doing this work. On Saturday 26 September 2026, we brought together Sudanese lawyers and human rights defenders living in the United Kingdom for a day of discussion and training in London. It closed a week of meetings with the Sudanese community and partner organizations in Manchester and London.
During the workshop, participants took part in a lively discussion, using our Sudan work as a starting point. Topics included the use of universal jurisdiction, and of other legal tools such as money laundering laws, to pursue cases in countries such as Switzerland, France, and the United States for international crimes committed elsewhere. Participants also discussed how to prioritize lines of investigation within a larger case file, the roles civil society can play during investigation and litigation, and how to work sensitively with witnesses and survivors while managing their expectations.
“I found the discussions on universal jurisdiction, investigation planning, and evidence collection both engaging and valuable,” said Eiman, one of the participants. “It was a wonderful learning experience.”
Why it matters
Our work on Liberia shows what becomes possible when survivors, local lawyers, and investigators work together over many years. It led to the conviction of Liberian commanders for war crimes in Switzerland and France, and in the United States for lying about their wartime past, decades after the crimes were committed.
Sudanese lawyers are already doing much of the groundwork, often at great personal risk. Our aim is to support them in turning that evidence into cases that can succeed in court. We have agreed to meet again next year for training, and we will stay in close contact with participants in the meantime.
We are grateful to everyone who took part, and to our partners in Manchester and London for their support during the week.