Thu Apr 17 14:41:36 UTC 2025: ## Sudanese Civil Society Strangled Amidst Ongoing War: Activists Face Violence, Marginalization
**Khartoum, Sudan –** Two years after the eruption of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudanese civil society organizations, crucial to the nation’s humanitarian response and democratic aspirations, find themselves increasingly marginalized and under attack. While playing a vital role in providing essential services to civilians caught in the conflict, activists face constant harassment, arbitrary arrests, and even murder at the hands of both warring factions.
Groups like Hadhreen, which maintained food kitchens throughout the conflict, have witnessed firsthand the brutality. In one instance, RSF forces looted supplies and killed a supervisor who was only providing food to vulnerable citizens. Similar accounts emerge from Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), grassroots networks providing essential humanitarian aid, where workers have been killed by both SAF and RSF-aligned groups.
The recent army recapture of Khartoum, while seemingly a turning point, hasn’t lessened the dangers. Activists are forced to negotiate with both sides to operate, a precarious balancing act that often leads to accusations of bias and further targeting. The inability to engage in political discourse without being labelled as partisan has effectively stifled civil society’s ability to advocate for peace.
This suppression has deep roots, tracing back to the 2010s when youth-led resistance committees played a key role in the 2018/2019 revolution. These groups, now forming the backbone of the ERRs, have become crucial in filling the vacuum left by a collapsed state, but operate under immense pressure. Despite the existence of at least 700 ERRs across Sudan, their operational space continues to shrink.
The formation of political blocs like Taqaddum and its subsequent split into Somoud and Taasis further complicates the situation. These divisions reflect the broader political polarization, making neutrality nearly impossible for ground-level activists. This polarization, fuelled by war rhetoric from both sides, has made it easy to discredit any independent civil efforts advocating for peace, effectively silencing critical voices.
Analysts emphasize that any meaningful peace negotiation must include Sudanese civil society, which possesses the on-the-ground organization that exiled political leaders lack. However, civil society’s own fragmentation and past failures in gaining public trust pose challenges. Furthermore, international actors have been criticized for prioritizing quick solutions and easy interlocutors over long-term support for Sudanese civil society. The ultimate success of any peace process in Sudan hinges on ensuring that these vital organizations have a seat at the negotiating table, a seat they must actively fight to secure.
First Piper 