Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BACKGROUND AND FURTHER READING AVAILABLE HERE
COMMUNITY PEACEBUILDING INITIATIVES AVERT FAMINE IN REGIONS ACROSS SOUTH DARFUR, AMID SUDAN'S CIVIL WAR
As Sudan faces the worst hunger crisis in decades, people across South Darfur are defying the odds. Community peacebuilding initiatives led by Concordis International have safeguarded the harvest, ensuring families have food amidst a national famine threat.
The Crisis in Sudan
Civil war broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023. Few people plant crops whilst war is raging. Many of those who did plant were then 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. Working alongside communities affected by the conflict, they confirmed:
The fragility of relationships between South Darfur’s many ethnic groups was being exploited for political gain, even to the point of inciting genocide. History from the Darfur genocides in the early 2000’s was repeating itself.
In addition to many crimes against humanity committed by the protagonists in this war, food, hunger and aid were being weaponised, as both sides sought to starve their opponents into submission.
Everyone now realised that this war will not end any time soon. There was strong local appetite, born out of an instinct to survive, for communities to become more resilient.
Without resilience to conflict, every dispute or fight between individuals from different ethnic groups has the potential to escalate terrifyingly, totally apart from the RSF / SAF war.
If people can’t grow food, graze cattle and take their produce to market, they and their families will starve to death.
How Concordis makes a difference
Concordis peacebuilders work alongside communities who live where conflict is fought and felt.
Their vision is that everyone affected by armed conflict should have the resources they need to manage that conflict peacefully. And that effective peacebuilding needs to address root causes of the conflict, if cycles of violence are to be broken.
The team, and the local peacebuilders they support, has remained in South Darfur throughout the war, building bridges between conflicting groups. These peacebuilders from across the wide range of ethnic groups, possess a deep understanding of local dynamics, cultural traditions, and historical grievances, enabling them to mediate disputes in ways that resonate with the communities they serve.
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, which provided for:
Agreement over where crops should be grown, and where cattle can safely graze, such that crops could be planted and kept safe to harvest.
Speedy resolution of intercommunity conflicts, before they escalate, building resilience to the worst and most genocidal impacts of the war.
Particular vigilance around security and conflict resolution in markets, to ensure people from different ethnic groups feel safe to come together for trade, and to keep food supplies flowing.
Peacebuilders work to address the factors that drive conflict, and particularly those that motivate young men to fight. More interestingly, they look to create meaningful incentives for them not to fight.
It’s a simple message: Do not send your son to war; send him to the fields.
And it has worked.
In the 14 regions of South Darfur where the team ran peacebuilding activities, most communities reported 70-90% of pre-war levels of harvest in millet and sorghum, with the lowest still being 60-80%.
The price of sorghum in the market fell from 35 Sudanese Pounds (4.5 pence) per scoop to just 5 pounds.
The harvest came in early, which prevented crop destruction by roaming cattle, and theft by armed groups.
Early harvesting also reduced the risk of conflict during the peak of the hunger season, a time when tensions often escalate.
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 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.
Khalid Adam, a Programme Officer with Concordis in South Darfur, said: “We trained them on building good relationships between farmers and pastoralists to ensure peaceful coexistence, crop protection and crop storage techniques to prevent spoilage. I witnessed farmers helping each other during the harvest season in a traditional practice called Al Nafeir, where groups come together to assist one another. People were overjoyed, thanking God for the abundance and success of the harvest.”
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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, INTERVIEWS, AND IMAGES contact Kate Giles, Fundraising and Communications Manager, Concordis. k.giles@concordis.international
IMAGES CAN BE DOWNLOADED here
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW:
Peter Marsden, CEO of Concordis
Peter leads Concordis and the design and delivery of all peacebuilding programmes. He is an experienced mediator and takes a hands-on role in engaging participants and stakeholders, including government and opposition groups, facilitating inter-community dialogue and training peacebuilders.
Khalid Adam, Concordis International Programme Officer based in Nyala, South Darfur
Khalid works as Programme Officer with Concordis in South Darfur. Before joining Concordis, Khalid worked with the Spanish Red Cross, Oxfam GB, World Vision and other private companies.
Case study
Abudrag farmers in Al Radoum Locality, who primarily cultivate millets and sorghum, often experience destruction of their farms by Habania herders. Through collaboration with Concordis and the Advisory Group, Abudrag farmers successfully planted their crops, leading to a stable harvest.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
UNHCR estimate 12,510,544 Sudanese people have been forcibly displaced, with 3,388,082 becoming refugees in other countries. https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/sudansituation. Communities forced away from their land cannot plant crops.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (the IPC Initiative) estimates that 24.6m people, more than half of Sudan’s population, are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, with Famine present in at least 5 areas: https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158511 and https://www.ipcinfo.org/
Concordis International is an international non-governmental organisation (INGO) based in the UK, operating in the Central African Region: Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Abyei and South Sudan. We are peacebuilders. Concordis staff support those who live where conflict is fought and felt. We only go where we are invited. We have twenty years of experience – our expertise lies in building trust with all conflict parties and bringing them together to have those difficult conversations. We work hand in hand with communities, helping them find workable solutions that address the root causes of conflict and contribute to lasting peace and economic development. We are committed to finding sustainable solutions that benefit all those involved: women and youth, as well as men; local administrative authorities, community leaders, and civil society; those who choose to take up arms and those who don't. We engage for the long term to build trusting relationships and leaving a legacy that enables future conflict to be managed peacefully within the community.