Civil Society and Peace Transformation in Sudan’s Darfur Region

Abstract

Scholars increasingly agree that civil society is needed if peace operations are to succeed, and conflicts resolved. However, they disagree on the impact  and influence of civil society on conflict transformation. The three international peace operations in Darfur from 2004 to 2018 experienced very limited  successes, but the situation changed rapidly from 2018 onwards as the crisis transitioned from high to low-intensity conflict. How was this achieved?  What factors were responsible for this conflict transformation process? This study contends that the involvement of civil society that facilitated the  removal of Al-Bashir set this transformation toward positive peace in motion. Relying on descriptive design, secondary data and critical analysis, this  study argues that civil society has navigated Darfur’s complex conflict terrain and contributed in good measure to the peace progress. This paper further  examines the role of Darfur’s warlords as peace influencers and how their leadership styles can be utilised to bolster Darfur’s peace.