Courage in Crisis: What is women's role in trauma healing and peace in Abyei

Since the 2005 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan, Belkys López has worked in the border area of Abyei, which is strategically located between Sudan and South Sudan. The region has long been a flashpoint of conflict due to overlapping territorial claims. With a focus on conflict prevention and management, Belkys has extensively studied the impact of trauma and economic instability on peacebuilding. In this interview, Belkys shares how the ongoing conflict has affected the mental and emotional well-being of women in Abyei, why trauma healing is a critical foundation for lasting peace, and the pivotal role women play in these efforts.

How does the ongoing conflict in Abyei impact the mental and emotional well–being of women in the community, and what specific trauma-related challenges do they face?

The conflict in Abyei has lasted over 50 years, with the civil war displacing about 90% of the population. Violence, poverty, and climate change, including floods and desertification, have worsened tensions over grazing land between the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka. The ongoing war in Sudan and violent conflict with neighbours south of Abyei continue to take a toll.

Exposure to trauma is the strongest predictor of Post-Traumatic Stress symptoms. Many in the region suffer from intergenerational and complex trauma due to repeated exposure to violence, displacement, and collective suffering. Events like the 2011 attack on Abyei and the current war in Sudan have deeply affected the entire region.

According to studies I carried out and coauthored in 2013 and 2015, women in Abyei and South Sudan experience PTSD symptoms at higher rates than men, most likely due to their exposure to Gender-Based Violence. War and Gender-Based Violence cause severe psychological distress among women in the region.

Why is trauma healing a critical foundation for lasting peace, and what role do women play in these efforts?

Trauma is an obstacle to peace yet is often ignored by policymakers, donors, and governments. Peace is as much a cognitive process as a political or military one. The ability to think critically, reconcile, forgive, and resist dehumanising ideas of rivals requires a healthy mind. Trauma symptoms may predispose sufferers to reasoning that justifies violence. Trauma affects the ability to reason in ways demanded by peace processes. Despite this, rationality is assumed in peace dialogues.

Women are affected by trauma, both as survivors and as caregivers, and their roles in addressing trauma shape the sustainability of peace efforts. They often take on the work of healing, whether through grassroots initiatives or direct support to family and community members recovering from conflict. However, women’s roles in conflict are complex. They advocate for peace and sometimes sustain or promote conflict. Understanding how trauma shapes these roles is essential for designing effective peace strategies.

Given the ongoing instability in Abyei, how can trauma healing be integrated into broader peacebuilding efforts to ensure long-term reconciliation and resilience?

Reconciliation is a complex process that requires more than political agreements.

Reconciliation includes a shared vision for the future and a commitment to nonviolent conflict resolutions. Basically, reconciliation requires forgiveness, and this cannot be achieved without addressing the trauma that perpetuates cycles of violence. Trauma can negatively influence interpretations of truth and justice. Even under healthy circumstances, the truth is often perceived in a way that shows bias toward one’s community or ethnic group. Reconciliation necessitates opposing parties viewing the conflict from a perspective other than their own.

Yet, for populations affected by trauma, their symptoms are an obstacle to the cognitive shift necessary for reconciliation. For Abyei, a trauma-informed approach to peacebuilding should involve intentional and practical interventions to ensure that healing is not just assumed with the cessation of conflict but actively supported. In low-resource areas, peer support groups offer a feasible and effective way to promote healing. Women need peer support to cope with their exposure to violence and to navigate the role they play in their families and communities. Short-term measures should focus on structured dialogue that prepares participants for challenging discussions.

At the same time, long-term strategies should integrate healing into justice and recovery processes, acknowledging the gendered dynamics of conflict and the distinct ways women and men experience violence. Economic development and livelihood support are critical to sustaining healing and peace in fragile regions like Abyei. This is key to well-being, especially for many women in Abyei, particularly single heads of households. Rituals and healing circles are meaningful but will only get people so far in the face of chronic poverty.

What are some traditional or community-led approaches to trauma healing in Abyei, and how do they complement more formal psychological support?

The people of Abyei have strong approaches that sustain resilience and healing, even if they are not explicitly framed as trauma-focused. Familial and community networks, relationships with peers, rituals, prayer, and being in nature all help emotional and psychological well-being. These practices provide social support, continuity, and a sense of belonging.

Local songs and singing are another important healing mechanism that allows people to process experiences by situating them within a shared cultural narrative. Ceremonial rituals also help individuals and communities symbolically release pain and suffering. Faith-based coping through prayer and religious gatherings reinforces hope and strengthens social cohesion. 

Additionally, elders and community leaders act as trusted guides, offering wisdom and informal counselling. Women play an important role in this regard, as they support community members through some of the most difficult times. 

With shifting global priorities and limited donor resources, how do you see the future of peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts in regions like Sudan and Abyei?

I am worried about the war in Sudan, the fragility of Abyei, and the shifting priorities of donor governments, not just the U.S., but others as well. Will this region become a casualty of changing global priorities? How many lives will be lost? At a time of limited donor resources, will international organisations compete even more with local initiatives, further sidelining localisation efforts?

The aid and development sectors are facing a major shock. Now is the time to support local initiatives, not as an afterthought but as the most logical and necessary response to this crisis.

At the same time, work on Women, Peace, and Security is being deprioritised. This is not the time to step back. We must stand in solidarity with the women most affected, such as the women of Abyei. Our work prioritises the women experiencing the conflict, not outside actors, because real change happens when those most affected are at the center of the response.