News reports are full of reports of violence in South Kordofan, but peace still exists in many places. Despite escalating violence, communities historically involved in the conflict are rejecting violence.

/publications/peace-in-the-midst-conflict-local-peacebuilding-in-south-kordofan

Even in the midst of the conflict as international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) bunker down, the tribes are still able to communicate with each other. Aided by the network of peace activists created and supported by local organizations, like the Collaborative for Peace in Sudan (CfPS), and funded in part by USIP, essential communication is maintained to prevent the violence from intensifying.  For the past two years, groups like CfPS, have been working at a local level with individual communities, encouraging them to think about their own interests and resist political manipulation. They have acted as mediators to re-build relationships degraded by decades of conflict and they have equipped individual leaders and communities with the skills and the structures to respond to conflict non-violently.

This is best seen in the western region of South Kordofan where the CfPS coordinator is based. In this area, the Dajou, Misseryah and Nuba tribes, located in the western mountains, have so far all agreed to reject the current violence. Until now there have been no violent events between them, despite the surrounding conflict.

This follows a formal agreement made by themselves after they convened a meeting with each other to discuss the outbreak of conflict at the governmental level. Supported by the Deputy Ameer of the Nuba, tribal leaders of Dagu and Misseriyah, and peace activists from all the communities, the agreement they made was published in the localmedia on June 14. Similar agreements have been made elsewhere in South Korodofan and in Unity state, south of the border.

Despite the coming independence of South Sudan, CfPS sees its north-south peacebuilding network as more important than ever. With USIP funding, it has actively worked with its coordinators in Unity and South Kordofan to maintain cross-border dialogue through this tumultuous period. And at a time when most outside observers would expect history to repeat itself, many of the communities historically caught up in the violence between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army have resisted.

The United States has made an expensive, decade-long commitment to peace in Sudan for both humanitarian and national security reasons. Local interventions like those in South Kordofan contribute to this goal by helping to break a cycle of violence that has lasted decades.

Related Research & Analysis

U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan: What Does It Mean for Peace?

U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan: What Does It Mean for Peace?

Thursday, January 23, 2025

The U.S. government has concluded that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces committed acts of genocide in Sudan after reviewing overwhelming evidence of the group’s mounting atrocities, which include the systemic targeting of women and children, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello discusses how this designation permanently delegitimizes the RSF and its leadership, its impact on the ongoing civil war, and how the international community can elevate the voices of Sudanese people seeking a return to peace and democratic governance.

Type: Blog

Without Sudan's Warring Parties in Geneva, What’s Next for Peace Talks?

Without Sudan's Warring Parties in Geneva, What’s Next for Peace Talks?

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

A U.S.-led peace initiative to end Sudan’s brutal civil war took place in Geneva over the last two weeks. But despite invitations and extensive international pressure, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) declined to send a delegation to Switzerland altogether, while the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) sent a delegation.

Type: Question and Answer

The Red Sea Crisis Goes Beyond the Houthis

The Red Sea Crisis Goes Beyond the Houthis

Friday, July 19, 2024

The Red Sea is in crisis. At the center of the storm are Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have unleashed a wave of attacks on ships traversing one of the world’s most pivotal maritime straits, putatively in support of Hamas’s war against Israel. The Houthi gambit in the Red Sea is imposing serious costs on global trade, as did the problem of Somali piracy, which reached its peak in 2010. The United States and some of its allies have stepped in to militarily suppress the threat, bombing Houthi positions inside Yemen. But although this episode is illustrative of the difficulties of Red Sea security, the crisis extends far beyond the trouble emanating from Yemen.

Type: Analysis

As Famine Spreads Across Sudan, Protecting Civilians Must be a Priority

As Famine Spreads Across Sudan, Protecting Civilians Must be a Priority

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Since Sudan’s civil war erupted 15 months ago, civilians have disproportionately borne the brunt of the fighting. The African Union recently referred to the crisis in Sudan as an “unprecedented catastrophic humanitarian situation,” marked by the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises and significant civilian casualties.

Type: Analysis

View All Research & Analysis