Despite the ongoing conflict in different parts of Sudan, Adeela has been implementing Masheesh, our LAF model, by mapping and providing grants to 29 different grassroots youth and women-led groups across East Darfur, Red Sea, Al Qadarif, and Khartoum. We also provide training for these groups, on advocacy, conflict sensitivity, gender, project management, and report writing, as well as facilitating networking between youth initiatives and groups in each state.

Following the conflict that broke out in Sudan on April 15, Adeela’s planned activities were massively affected by the conflict. Nevertheless, Adeela has found innovative ways to support citizens and civil society, and to resist war. Adeela had collective discussions on the possibility of opposing the war and countering hate speech, racism, and opposing human rights violations in Sudan. A rich discussion identified more than 20 proposals, with 6 initiatives ultimately selected in each state.

Through this work, Adeela and its partners played a big role in reducing the intensity of hate speech and responding to the mobilisation and alertness that the war parties were spreading in Sudan. Adeela and its partners also engaged with religious leaders, such as mosque imams and priests, who have a platform and respect in society. The plan was to involve these religious leaders to use their platform to call for de-escalation and call for an end to the war As a result of this campaign, a number of community leaders – even those who were government supporters – participated in and called for de-escalation and sustainable peace.

New trends have also emerged from some initiatives related to psychological support for displaced people, especially women and children, and working on organising and connecting them with civil groups in these states, especially in states that received large numbers of internally displaced people from Khartoum. The sensitization of the community leaders, along with the coordination of trauma support to the IDPs, positively contributed to reducing misinformation, and hate speech, as well as providing psychological support for women and children. Besides Adeela's work with civil society in Sudan through the LAF project, Adeela managed to facilitate humanitarian assistance to the affected areas during the conflict, including logistic support for emergency rooms in Khartoum.

Given the increasing need for civilian protection, and the deterioration of the security situation in the conflict areas, there was a constant need to evacuate activists who have been systematically targeted by the military forces in Darfur. Adeela managed to facilitate civilian protection to activists through referrals for specialized human rights protection organizations to provide the support needed. As well as accompaniment for organizations and individuals at risk, Adeela supported documentation and reporting of human rights violations, by supporting the work of the subgrantees (Yala Narsud) with 5000 USD to develop monitoring tools.

Adeela is also exploring ways to strengthen the inclusion and participation of civil society in peace negotiations expected to take place in Addis Ababa/Jeddah. Adeela participated in a roundtable workshop in Kassla in east Sudan, organised by Framework Mechanism. This would provide a space for civil society actors to conduct joint analysis, develop advocacy priorities and a road map for a joint advocacy campaign that amplifies the voices and perspectives of Sudanese civil society within the peace process.

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Learn more about Adeela on their website: https://adeela.org/