Local peacebuilders key to curbing new violence in Sudan: Peace Direct

As Sudan divides into two and the oil-rich border state of South Kordofan erupts in violence, Peace Direct urges the international community to support local peacebuilders who are active and effective there.

The crisis in South Kordofan shows the limits of outside influence by the international community. Outside players are largely excluded from influence, the UN evacuated non-essential personnel from Kadugli when fighting flared in June, visas for foreign aid-agency staff are increasingly hard to obtain, and the UN peacekeeping mission UNMIS is winding down. It would seem that international presence and influence on the ground is waning, at a time when it is needed most.

Where external influence fails, an internal mechanism can be accessed instead: local peacebuilders. These civil society activists and organisations are already in place throughout the province, and continue to be active despite the crisis, with some notable successes.

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