In Sudan, we work on strengthening the voices and participation of communities, women and young people in social and political change processes. Community initiatives are contributing to improved trust and collaboration among communities and their traditional leaders. There are also many examples of projects directly contributing to addressing conflict causes and drivers. Collaboration between Saferworld partners, communities and the local administration helped to address recurrent conflict between the Felata and Salamat tribes in South Kordofan. Exchange visits and peace conferences contributed to trust-building and to the re-opening of a road (enabling access to markets), the recovery and return of looted cattle, and the free movement of pastoralists to access water and pasture. In Lagawa town in West Kordofan State, returnees, internally displaced people and the host community formed a joint committee, agreeing to integrate returnees and internally displaced people within the host community and to promote peaceful co-existence.
The Sudan team has supported research into women-led coalitions and movement-building, and published a report,“We have been quiet for so long”: Sudanese women’s coalitions in post-revolution Sudan in September 2022, and a policy paper on the role of women’s coalitions within change processes in Darfur in March 2023. Out of 407 initiatives in Sudan in 2022–2023, 123 had an explicit gender focus. Local authorities appointed a woman chief for the first time, and they also agreed that head chiefs will be assisted by a woman in the areas of Boma, Missira Payam, Tolodi County, Nuba Mountains and South Kordofan.
Saferworld’s Sudan programme and advocacy teams have been working together to ensure that civil society voices are central to the international response to the outbreak of conflict, coordinating meetings with the UK Labour Party, the US State Department, the US National Security Council, the US Agency for International Development and the UN, and influencing international media coverage.
