Shaden Gardood

Shaden Muhammad al-Hassan was born in El-Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan in 1986.[1] She studied economics at Omdurman Ahlia University, but moved towards art, especially the folk and heritage singing of the Kordofan region.[1]

Gardood was a young artist who advocated for peace and justice through her songs and lyrics.[2] Gardood was known for the title of "al-Hakama", which is usually given to leading women in Darfur and Kordofan known for their poetry and singing, and have great power over men in those societies.[1]

She regularly made live videos on Facebook talking about the clashes and shelling in her neighbourhood, and she wrote intensively against the war.[3] Gardood had a prominent role in advocating for popular groups opposed to military rule, and 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 three decades.[1] She was present with her songs at the sit-in at the army command, which was organised by hundreds of thousands of demonstrators to demand civil rule, after the fall of Al-Bashir and the seizure of power by the army leaders.[1]

Gardood was mortally wounded and died during the Battle of Omdurman in the 2023 Sudan conflict on 12 May 2023.[2] Gardood lived near the national television and radio building, which was a spot of heavy fighting from the first day 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, a video circulated of her online telling her son to stay away from their windows.[4]