Several citizens have acknowledged the prevalence of hate speech among communities in Sudan’s East Darfur State and proposed various measures to mitigate its spread.

The Organization for Moderation, Dialogue Against Extremism, and Peace Building hosted a session with a group of residents from Adila town comprised of representatives of various professions to discuss ways to curb the spread of hate speech in the local communities.

A pharmacist, Fatima Suleiman, stated acknowledged that the negative practice had to be checked.

“Hate speech exists in Adila through practices such as discrimination and persecution of others,” she told Radio Tamazuj.

She believes addressing hate speech requires individual awareness about its dangers and community education.

Another resident, Nidal Abdullah Mohammed, said holding meetings to create awareness about the vice is important.

“Hate speech is prevalent in Adila and to prevent its spread, informative seminars are essential to emphasize the importance of refraining from language that diminishes the dignity of others,” he emphasized.

For his part, Adam Ibrahim Ajeib attributed the prevalence of hate speech in Khartoum to the ongoing war.

Meanwhile, Dr. Abbas Altijani, a peace studies researcher and media expert, emphasized that one of the dilemmas facing communities in conflict areas is the spread of rumors, misleading news, and false information, which serve as catalysts for hate speech.

“Hate speech manifests in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fueled by supporters of both sides,” Dr. Altijani highlighted. “East Darfur is relatively better off due to the absence of prolonged armed conflict compared to other Darfur cities, Khartoum, and Al-Jazeera.”

He however said the war has contributed to the spread of hate speech in these states.

The researcher said the media plays a significant role in reducing the impacts of hate speech and that training journalists in these areas to avoid inciting hate speech in their reporting, providing space for groups to express their cultures, organizing joint social activities among different groups, and enacting laws that criminalize hate speech are essential measures.