Barney Afako is a lawyer with over two decades of experience in conflict resolution, mediation, political transitions, and human rights in diverse contexts globally. For several years, he was a member of the United Nations’ Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisors and has supported peacemaking efforts in Sudan and the Horn of Africa, including through the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan. Barney is one of the Commissioners of the UN Human Rights Council’s Commission on South Sudan.

Topic: Orchestrating Peace in Sudan: Revolutionizing Mediation with Agentic AI

Sudan’s conflict is one of the world’s most catastrophic—and most neglected. Amid immense human suffering, fragmented mediation efforts, and a rapidly shifting conflict landscape, peacemakers are being asked to do the impossible: understand fast-moving dynamics, coordinate across competing tracks, and design inclusive, adaptive processes without the analytical or strategic support their counterparts in defense or intelligence routinely receive. This panel introduces Transcend, the first agentic AI platform designed explicitly to support peacemakers, mediators, and conflict-focused institutions. Through an interactive case study on Sudan, the panel will explore how AI agents built for peace can help mediators and organizations navigate fragmentation, generate strategic options, and surface inclusive solutions—faster, and with greater clarity.