The impact of war on Sudan’s agricultural sector: Youth, peace, and livestock production

Sudan’s war has pushed rural youth into a dangerous position. They are both the primary victims of the collapse of agricultural sector and the key to its recovery. Drawing on local experience and innovative approaches, young people can lead the efforts to rebuild the country’s agriculture and livestock production.

Livestock production is a cornerstone of the Sudanese economy, providing food, livelihoods, and contributing significantly to foreign exchange.  The sector contributes substantially to Sudan’s GDP (around 34% of agricultural GDP) and employs a large portion of the workforce (up to 40% of the population).

But the ongoing war has had detrimental consequences for Sudan’s livestock production and the agricultural sector as a whole. Destruction of assets, forced conscription and displacement of youth have made day to day operations extremely challenging: Equipment is missing, there are few people around to do the actual work, and grazing areas have become hard to reach due to threats like landmines, armed groups, and blocked roads which force the nomadic people to abandon their customary routes.

The relationship between youth, peace and livestock production
In Sudan, youth, peace, and livestock production are closely intertwined. Young people are not only among the most affected by the conflict, they are also a main one of the main determinants for whether livestock production survives or collapses.

In times of peace, youth are the engine of livestock production. They are engaged throughout the value chain, from farming and herding to veterinary services and trading of livestock and play a key role in introducing new technologies such as disease control, improved feeding methods, and digital marketing. Peace enables them to dedicate their time and resources to develop their herds, establish small livestock businesses, or become animal health professionals. However, in times of conflict, youth are often at the center of disputes, both as victims and perpetrators. This paradox is particularly evident in rural areas.   

In times of peace, youth are the engine of livestock production. 

In the rural communities of Darfur and Kordofan, animal production traditionally generates revenue, stability, and overall wellbeing, particularly among pastoralists, of which many of the young are involved in livestock production. But these same rural communities are also fertile recruitment grounds for the warring parties.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), for example, whose roots are in pastoralist communities impacted by environmental degradation, have been successful in recruiting youth from these groups, thereby dragging pastoralists into a permanent state of war with neighboring communities and the state army. This process is sustained by regional extractives, particularly the illegal mining and smuggling of gold across Sudan's borders by the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which have become major sources of funding for the conflict. As a result, many young pastoralists have been trapped in cycles of violence and insecurity.

The collapse of rural peace and pastoralist livelihoods
Since the outbreak of the war in April 2023, the conflict among farmers and nomadic people has intensified. The collapse of government authorities and security has made rural areas vulnerable, leaving them without effective law enforcement or traditional mediation systems. This has allowed even small disputes over water, and grazing lands to rapidly escalate into armed confrontations. When youth pastoralists and their families lose access to pasture and water, their animals cannot survive. Malnutrition and disease spread rapidly when herds are displaced or trapped. Livestock may be directly targeted, stolen, killed, or used as war booty. This is a devastating loss for families who have built their herds over many generations.

The collapse of government authorities and security has made rural areas vulnerable, leaving them without effective law enforcement or traditional mediation systems.

A lot of pastoralists have left their fields due to insecurity, whereas nomadic groups are enforced to change their migration routes to search for safe pasture and water, often passing through cultivated lands. The extensive spread of guns, relocation of populations, interethnic land rights and manipulation of local tensions by armed actors have altered what were formerly seasonal source of conflicts into fatal fights that increase humanitarian suffering and further weaken the rural areas.

Why peace is the foundation of recovery
Peace is the fundamental requirement for rehabilitating Sudan’s livestock sector. Youth and rural communities can play an important role in local peacebuilding efforts aimed at restoring markets, re-establishing mobility, and settling disputes to preserve social cohesion.  Without security, no technical solution can be implemented. With peace, recovery can start quickly.

Addressing the concerns of pastoralist youth, who make up the backbone of RSF fighters, particularly regarding access to grazing land and the recovery of their herds, could help counter the war propaganda that portrays the conflict as existential to the survival of pastoralist communities, especially in Kordofan and Darfur. Responding to these concerns would be an effective way of transforming violent engagement into a commitment to a peaceful future. When stability returns, vaccination programs can resume, markets can reopen, herders can return to their grazing lands, and the youth can shift their energy from war-based economies towards a peace economy that includes livestock production. Livestock is one of the fastest agricultural sectors to recover after conflict, as animals can reproduce and generate income within a few years. Peace also creates opportunities for long-term improvements including better pasture management, improved breeds, and enhanced veterinary services. Together, these developments could make Sudan’s livestock sector more robust than ever before.

In conclusion, youth are essential to both peacebuilding and the livestock sector, particularly in rural and pastoral areas where livestock serves as the major source of income and economic stability. Their involvement in animal production, service provision, improved animal husbandry practices, and natural resource can enhance the sector’s sustainability and productivity. At the same time, participation in dialogue, peace initiatives, and community leadership can strengthen social cohesion and promote peaceful coexistence among different groups. Empowering youth through education, economic opportunities, and inclusion in decision-making is therefore crucial for improving livestock production, reducing conflict and promoting sustainable peace and development.

This Sudanese Perspectives blog post is written by Hazem Abdo.

The views expressed in this post are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the SNAC project or CMI.