How peacebuilding has averted famine in Darfur
Sudan faces the worst hunger crisis in decades. Following Concordis’ community peacebuilding initiatives in South Darfur in Sudan, parents encouraged their sons to become farmers rather than soldiers, protecting their families by growing food.
There will not be famine this year in the part of Darfur where we work.
Click HERE to listen to Concordis Programme Officer in Darfur, Khalid Adam in conversation about the Darfur harvest with James Copnall on the BBC World Service programme Newsday.
Few people plant crops whilst war is raging. After civil war broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023, many of those who did plant were displaced from their land, and their crops were lost. Then, in the chaos of war, the traditional Talaga systems, which govern the delicate relations between herders and farmers, broke down, leading to cattle trampling what was left of the harvest.
The result was a failed harvest in 2023.
In January 2024, it became safe enough for the Concordis team in South Darfur to travel around the state, re-engaging with their network of local peacebuilders.
They saw that the fragile relationships between South Darfur’s many ethnic groups were being exploited for political gain, even to the point of inciting genocide.
They saw that food, hunger and aid were being weaponised, as both sides sought to starve their opponents into submission.
At that point, everyone had realised that this war would not end any time soon. Born out of an instinct to survive, the communities themselves wanted to become more resilient.
But, if people can’t grow food, graze cattle and take their produce to market, they and their families will starve to death.
This is where we start. With a courageous band of Concordis peacebuilders, who travel through a war zone to the places where conflicting groups stand toe to toe, to get people talking to each other.
The midst of a war is not the time to try to resolve generations-old grievances. However, these enormously brave individuals were able to negotiate a pragmatic set of intercommunity peace agreements.
It was agreed:
Where crops should be grown, and where cattle can safely graze, such that crops could be planted and kept safe to harvest.
There would be speedy resolution of intercommunity conflicts, before they escalate in a way that either side in the civil war can use to incite genocide.
It was vital that people from different ethnic groups felt safe to come together for trade, and to keep food supplies flowing. There needed to be vigilance around security and conflict resolution at local markets.
This laid the groundwork for farming, grazing and trade to happen peacefully. Now it needed people, and particularly young men, to farm.
To farm and not fight.
Our peacebuilders had a simple message: Do not send your son to war; send him to the fields.
In the 14 regions of South Darfur where the team ran peacebuilding activities, the majority of communities reported 70-90% of pre-war levels of harvest in millet and sorghum, with the lowest still being 60-80%.
Families have enough to use a third to feed themselves, a third cached for next year’s seed stocks, and a third to sell at market.
The price of sorghum in the market fell from 35 Sudanese Pounds (4.5 pence) per scoop to just 5 pounds, making it affordable for ordinary families again.
The dependency on aid is reduced, and self-reliance is restored.
Thanks to the work of peacebuilders, South Darfur will not be in famine this year.
This success story provides hope in the face of Sudan’s challenges and could be replicated throughout the country. The process of empowering and training local people to lead cooperation for food security in a war zone is powerful and effective. By integrating local traditions with practical solutions, these initiatives demonstrate that even amidst conflict, communities can thrive.
International support for grassroots initiatives like those supported by Concordis in South Darfur would make a substantial impact, building resilience against the war and the threat of famine.