UN Appoints Nigerian’s Prof. Joy Ezeilo, as Member of Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan

By Iyojo Ameh

The United Nations (UN) has appointed Professor Joy Ezeilo, a distinguished Nigerian legal expert, as a member of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan.

This announcement was made by Václav Bálek, the President of the UN Human Rights Council, in a statement released on Tuesday, 19th December 2023.

Prof. Ezeilo according to the statement will also work alongside, Mohamed Chande Othman of Tanzania and Mona Rishmawi of Jordan/Switzerland on the mission, with Othman as Chair of the three independent members of the new Independent International Fact-Finding Mission.
The statement partly read: “The Human Rights Council established the Fact-Finding Mission in October, through resolution A/HRC/RES/54/2, “to investigate and establish the facts, circumstances and root causes of all alleged human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including those committed against refugees, and related crimes in the context of the ongoing armed conflict that began on 15 April 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, as well as other warring parties.”

The Mission, which was established for an initial duration of one year, was further requested to collect and analyse evidence in view of any future legal proceedings; to identify, where possible, individuals and entities responsible; and to make recommendations with a view to ending impunity and ensuring accountability and access to justice for victims.
Prof Ezeilo has served as a Member of the United Nations Civil Society Advisory Board on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (Feb 2019 to Feb 2021); Board Member, UN Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking (2013-2016). She is also Council Member Human Rights Institute of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and was recently appointed (April 2023) to the NBA Legal Education Committee.

She was also a former Commissioner for Gender and Social Development, Enugu State, a federal delegate to the National Political Reform Conference, and served as a member of the Governing Council, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) between 2012 to 2015 and also Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) 2018- 2021.

She is the founder of Women Aid Collective (WACOL) and Tamar SARC that collectively have provided over 60,000 free legal aid to women and children in difficult circumstances, including victims/survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.