Sheikh Abdallah Ibrahim Ahmed from Kubum, an elder who was involved in several judiya cases.
In May 2024, a seemingly minor market dispute between members of the Salamat and Beni Halba tribes in Kubum of Southern Darfur escalated into an armed conflict that resulted in burned homes and widespread displacement.
According to a local witness who prefers to remain anonymous, the violence began with an argument over cattle at a local market. It soon spiraled into an inter-tribal confrontation, leading to a razed market, extensive looting, and dozens of deaths.
The conflict involved two distinct tribal groups: the Beni Halba, Arab cattle herders primarily based in Ed El Fursan, and the Salamat, another Arab herders' tribe with Chadian roots that has settled in Central Darfur for about two decades.
A traditional path to peace
To stem the escalating violence, village elders used an age-old custom called judiya. They gathered both parties, listened to their grievances, and brokered a peace agreement neither party has violated to date, strengthening the alliance between the tribes.
Since the war between Sudan’s Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Forces erupted in April 2023, this traditional conflict resolution method, deeply rooted in Sudan's rural and Bedouin communities, has taken on unprecedented importance. Community members say these mediations have increased from one or two a year to at least five or six every two months.
"At a time when the option of peace seems distant, returning to alternative means of achieving and building community peace has become inevitable," sociologist Yasser Issa tells OkayAfrica.
"Peacebuilding fundamentally relies on addressing the underlying causes of conflict, alongside supporting communities to manage their disputes and conflicts without resorting to violence," Issa continues, noting that it's a long-term process requiring significant time and effort.
With over seven million people displaced and the formal justice system weakened, communities increasingly rely on judiya to maintain order and prevent local disputes from spiraling into broader violence.
What is judiya?
After the bloody confrontation between the two tribes, elders and community leaders convened a reconciliation session under a large laloab tree in the market center, a traditional gathering space for such mediations. In some cases, these sessions are held in neighborhood mosques. During the proceedings, both parties pledged to return stolen goods and signed a peace agreement that imposed strict penalties on violators.
"When the war broke out, the process of building and establishing peace in Sudan became even more complex as it is affected by its long history of wars, conflicts, and political and tribal struggles," Mohamed Hassan, a lawyer, tells OkayAfrica. "This is where social initiatives and mechanisms for achieving peace like judiya have managed to fill the gap," he continues.
The ancient Laloab tree in Kubum where elders and warring parties gather for judiya reconciliation sessions.
Photo by Ayman Ayoub
Rooted in the concept of its Arabic meaning—extreme generosity—judiya emphasizes tolerance and prioritizes community harmony over narrow personal interests.
"Judiya is especially popular in peripheral communities characterized by organic solidarity, in contrast to central communities that tend towards mechanical solidarity," says Hassan. This system plays a crucial role in community mediation, particularly in rural communities that suffer from weak formal institutions and near-total absence of judicial systems.
The goal centers on achieving consensus between disputing parties. "Community elders ensure the restoration of relationships to their natural state and prevent further escalation. The results are binding and acceptable to all parties," Hassan explains.
The process of judiya
The judiya council is typically led by a village notable for wisdom, honesty, neutrality, and extensive experience resolving similar conflicts. It begins with Quranic verses and sayings by Prophet Muhammad that encourage reconciliation, forgiveness, and overcoming differences while upholding justice for all parties.
"The approach is to focus primarily on finding solutions, not assigning blame," says Hassan.
Sheikh Ali, a senior member of the Kanembu tribe in western Sudan, originally an ethnic group from Chad, tells OkayAfrica that judiya is not just a means of reconciliation but part of their cultural identity. "Decisions by judiya councils are widely accepted because they stem from local customs rather than written laws that may not consider cultural nuances between communities," he says.
A parallel system of justice
"Human society constantly needs social control mechanisms to achieve social balance and establish the principle of justice," says the sociologist Issa. To achieve this, society has to create a litigation system that governs individuals and groups. "In Sudan, judiya exists alongside the official justice system. This community-centered litigation method has resolved tribal conflicts for centuries, compensating damages, countering injustice, and reaching settlements," he says.
This article is published in collaboration with Egab.
- Will US Sanctions Have an Impact on the War in Sudan? ›
- Here is Everything We Know About The Ongoing Sudan Crisis ›
- Sudan Army Continues Advance in Khartoum, Retakes Airport from RSF Rebels ›
- Sudan is on the Verge of the World’s Largest Hunger Crisis: Here’s How to Help ›
- What It’s Like To … Be a First Responder in the Sudan War ›
- What It’s Like To…Be A Healthcare Worker in Sudan Right Now ›
