Sudanese peacebuilders share their calls for peace

The war in Sudan has created the world’s largest displacement crisis, silenced civil society, and pushed grassroots actors to the brink.

The recent mass atrocities at Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps, along with the elite-driven and exclusionary London Sudan Conference, only underscore the international community’s failure to respond meaningfully to this escalating crisis. While political actors meet behind closed doors, Sudanese civil society, those most attuned to the needs of communities, remain shut out of the conversations that will shape the country’s future.

Peace Direct and our Sudanese partners call on influential governments, donors, the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) to:

• Provide increased and flexible funding to local civil society and grassroots responders, particularly mutual aid groups, women’s organisations, and youth networks.
• Support efforts to counter disinformation and anti-civil society narratives and fund local initiatives monitoring violations and censorship.
• Support wider diplomatic efforts to ensure that there is an immediate ceasefire as well as to advocate for the voices of Sudanese communities and members of civil society to be heard, represented and meaningfully included during all peace talks and mediations.
• Hold those responsible for war crimes, displacement, and torture fully accountable through fair and impartial legal processes.
• Recognise local respondents as equal partners, provide structured international protection as they deliver vital aid, and establish safety mechanisms with all warring parties.

Despite arrests, surveillance, and systemic repression, our local partners continue to deliver life-saving aid, document human rights violations, and sustain community resilience. Their efforts are the backbone of survival and the foundation for a peaceful future, but they need international solidarity and resources to continue.

Challenges faced by civil society in Sudan

Our local partners in Sudan have shared how the ongoing conflict is affecting their ability to work. Civil society is continuously becoming a direct and indirect target of all armed parties, they are increasingly experiencing the use of arbitrary arrest, hate speech, and passport confiscation. In regions such as South Kordofan, where civil society has worked to foster social cohesion, the rise of hate speech particularly being directly targeted towards women’s groups has significantly increased thus diminishing the role of civil society.

In response to this, the unfolding humanitarian crisis and escalation of militarisation, our partners and most of civil society have shifted a major part of their focus entirely to emergency relief and humanitarian aid. Some women groups have also moved to working on women’s economic empowerment and public participation, reflecting the resilience of Sudanese communities. The ability of local peacebuilders and civil society actors to rapidly adapt to escalating situations, reminds us that local peacebuilders are a lifeline in times of crisis.

The impact of the war on civilians is compounded by the recent international funding cuts. The US provided half of all funding to Sudan in 2024, the loss of those funds will have a catastrophic humanitarian impact. Particularly impacted are the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), a coordinated social movement of local organisations who respond to the needs in the community.

ERR members face high risks, targeted by both RSF and SAF forces, thousands have been arrested and dozens killed. The ongoing international funding cuts are only further hindering their ability to provide rapid humanitarian assistance. There is an urgent need to shift resources and recognition towards local civil societies such as ERRs that are on the ground as principal agents.

What are Peace Direct calling for?

In solidarity with our partners, we are calling for the international community to protect those providing aid, especially mutual aid groups and grassroots responders risking their lives to support communities. The international community must highlight and condemn the systemic oppression faced by Sudanese civil society, including first responders and grassroots groups, and provide resource to combat disinformation.

In doing so, the international community must ensure that Sudanese civil society and peacebuilders are involved in high-level dialogue, negotiations and mediation aimed at achieving immediate ceasefire and building long-lasting peace in Sudan.