Honouring the Legacy of Najlaa Ahmed

We are deeply saddened about the passing of Najlaa Ahmed, our dear friend, ally, and former Sudan Project Officer, on 3 November 2025. 

Najlaa was a courageous and highly respected British-Sudanese human rights lawyer who inspired and energised countless people in the human rights movement. She formed a lasting impression as an unrelenting yet deeply compassionate advocate, championing the rights of survivors of torture and conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan and South Sudan. 

Najlaa held several roles in prominent human rights organisations. In addition to working on REDRESS’s Criminal Law Reform in Sudan and the Prohibition of Torture in Sudan projects, she served as Acting Executive Director of the Sudanese Rights Group and as Human Rights Officer and Consultant at the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, where she investigated torture and sexual violence in Sudan. She also served as Legal Adviser at Rights for Peace and as a consultant at Human Rights Watch, focusing on Sudanese women human rights defenders. 

Najlaa earned an LLB and a Master’s in Law from Beirut Arab University in Alexandria, Egypt, and participated in the Human Rights Advocates Program at Columbia University in 2010. Friends and colleagues will remember her for her rich – practically encyclopaedic – knowledge of the law and her decades of work to secure justice and reparation for survivors. She had the rare ability to engage thoughtfully with detailed legal work while keeping sight of the bigger picture. Najlaa was always in famously high demand, a trusted shoulder that many instinctively leaned on. Yet, despite her numerous commitments, she was remarkably generous, making everyone around her feel that she had all the time in the world for them. 

Najlaa had a uniquely disarming way with people. She brought warmth and an immediate sense of familiarity, fostering tight-knit communities of change-makers wherever she went. She embodied a survivor-centred approach, leading with compassion and dignity and always prioritising survivors’ needs. Survivor groups often trusted her to speak on their behalf, and she always channelled their voices faithfully and with care. 

Her work helped secure emblematic legal decisions for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Profoundly meaningful and reparative for her clients, it also placed unprecedented scrutiny on the use of sexual violence by State actors in Sudan. For many of her REDRESS clients, Najlaa was both a lawyer and a trusted friend.

Najlaa was born on 22 February 1969 in the city of Mustafa Qureshi Al-Halawin, in Al Jazeera State, central Sudan. In an interview with Columbia University’s Human Rights Advocates Program, Najlaa explained that her calling to human rights stemmed from the environment that surrounded her in her home country. Growing up, she witnesses firsthand the fear of her people; their inability to speak or move freely under Sudan’s restrictive laws. 

“I heard stories of people who disappeared or were tortured. Some survived with their physical and mental pain, but others died,” she said. “Seeing the impact of war on my people’s faces, I felt it was my duty to my people and to my profession as a lawyer to take a stand against human rights violations, discrimination, injustice and inequality; to help my people have a better future and to live with dignity to honour my profession.” 

We often say that colleagues never truly leave REDRESS. This is especially true of Najlaa, who continued to lend her time, expertise, and connections long after she officially left. Amongst so many contributions, she played a formative mentoring role for staff who succeeded her in our Sudan work, taking real joy in guiding newcomers and guiding our strategy with her signature blend of collegiality, expertise, and good humour. 

Najlaa brought considerable hope and energy to the human rights agenda in Sudan. In moments when the situation in the country felt impossibly heavy, she remained steadfastly committed to the work and to the possibility of lasting, transformative change. Her determination, resilience, and reassuring smile were infectious and will be deeply missed.  

We take comfort in knowing her influence will live on through those who were fortunate enough to work closely with her. We must now honour her memory by carrying her example forward.