A drop in hostilities was seen in an area of Sudan, according to locals, after a singer who used her music to promote peace, love, and unity died after being caught in crossfire.

Victim Shaden Gardood died amid clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Omdurman, Khartoum State, on 12th May.

A day earlier, the warring parties had signed a deal to alleviate civilian suffering.

In one of her last posts on Facebook, Shaden – referring to looting by soldiers – had written: “We have been trapped in our home for 25 days. We are hungry and in immense fear, but are full of ethics and values.”

Shaden, 37, was no stranger to violence during her lifetime.

She hailed from war-torn Kordofan Province and was injured during fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and insurgent leader Malik Agar’s forces in Al-Damazin in 2010.

Her song “Brother, Don’t Kill Brother” emphasised the need for the peaceful coexistence in the country.

Her niece Heraa Hassan Mohammed confirmed the singer’s death on Facebook.

She said: “She was like a mother and a beloved to me, we were just chatting, may God give her mercy.”

A resident of the Al-Hashmab neighbourhood, where the victim also lived, said on 13th May: “Last night, the clashes were violent and intense, which lasted for long hours, with fighter jets flying over all night.

“But what I observed is that the clashes were a bit less immediately after Shaden was injured, and then we continued to hear the sound but only from afar.”

According to the resident, Shaden initially survived the clashes but later died from her wounds.

The singer leaves behind her mother, her sister, and her 15-year-old son, Hamoudy.

Armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan broke out on 15th April and is ongoing.

At the time of writing, at least 1,000 people had been killed and more than 5,100 others had been injured.