Shaden Gardood

Shaden Muhammad al-Hassan (1986 – 13 May 2023), also known as Shaden Gardood or al-Hakama Shaden, was a Sudanese singer and peace advocate who was killed during the Sudanese civil war.

Biography

Early life and education Shaden Muhammad al-Hassan was born in El Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan in 1986. She studied economics at Omdurman Ahlia University, but moved towards performing art, especially the folk and heritage singing of the Kordofan region. This is why she was also known as "al-Hakama", a title which is given to a group of women in Darfur and Kordofan, who are respected for their poetry and singing. Hakamat have been invited by peacebuilding initiatives in Darfur and also exert power over men in their societies.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, she regularly posted videos and messages on Facebook about the clashes and shelling in her Omdurman neighbourhood, and wrote intensively against the war. Gardood had a prominent role in advocating for popular groups opposed to military rule, and had shared her songs with the peaceful demonstrators during the Sudanese Revolution that managed to overthrow the regime of Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for three decades. She lived near the national television and radio building, which saw heavy fighting from the beginning of the conflict. The building was held by the RSF, who were often attacked from the ground and air by the Sudanese Army. Shortly before she died, she posted a video telling her son to stay away from their windows.