Since April 2023 Sudan has been plagued by war and experienced a litany of humanitarian crises, forcing over 8.6 million people to flee their homes and killing an estimated 15,000 people. Despite being one of the most challenging and intractable crises in the world today, the struggle of the Sudanese people has been overlooked almost to an outlet, leaving Sudan stranded during its darkest hour.
April 2023 witnessed the consequences of years of instability and heightened tensions in Sudan, with Khartoum, the capital city, bearing the brunt of the conflict. In a city filled with over 5 million people, many remaining trapped, shortages of all manner of necessities quickly became apparent. Despite this, multiple truces have been violated and ceasefires broken;the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to escalate in the death-struggle for power, whilst ordinary citizens are facing the often deadly consequences. The instability followed the ousting of President Omar al Bashir, who ruled the country with an iron fist for just under 30 years and for which he faced two warrants for his arrest. During his rule, the streets were filled with protests demanding for change until the army facilitated a coup to remove him from power. Since then, the country has faced political turmoil, with SAF and the RSF fighting for power whilst people are forced to suffer. The continuation of this conflict has also unfortunately seen a return of ethnic cleansing, especially in Darfur, where the The Guardian reported at least 68 villages being set on fire as well as witnesses describing children being ‘piled up and shot’ by the RSF, who have repeatedly denied involvement in ethnic violence and have called for an independent investigation into the matter.
It is vital to note that the country’s descent did not begin with this recent conflict; Sudan has had two of the longest lasting civil wars in African history. Its severe internal wars has led to it becoming one of the poorest countries in the world with an inability to boost the economy despite possessing a vault of largely untapped mineral resources. The potential of the Sudanese economy has been tampered with and constrained by political instability, violences and a lack of investment. The current conflict has exacerbated the turmoil the Sudanese have been living through, from 15.8 million people needing humanitarian aid, to now almost 25 million. Whilst this conflict worsens, South Sudan also faces dire consequences, with an influx of refugees increasing the strain of their limited access to necessities due to their own political instability.
So, how has the world responded to this urgent matter? A year into the conflict Amnesty International has labelled the response from the international community ‘woefully inadequate’. Multiple attempts at de-escalation have been made by countries such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, however none have even approached success and both sides have reportedly shown a refusal to work towards a ceasefire. Since the eruption of the conflict in April, the majority of Sudanese media outlets have been unable to operate and so the Sudanese remain under-represented, which brings into question why western media are not doing more to shed light on this situation as one of the world’s most pressing crises, alongside Ukraine and Palestine? It is evident that Western media have continued to remain focused on broadcasting conflict elsewhere, neglecting the Sudanese struggle, leaving many entirely unaware. It is imperative that western media begin to support Sudanese media by broadcasting their struggles as one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the biggest humanitarian crises this year in order to see an increase in aid and worldwide popular support.
As the conflict in Sudan continues to escalate, millions of Sudanese people are subjected to the sort of famine-riddled hell we had thought to leave in the 20th century. As they continue to face the horrors of war and mass displacement, the international community must do more to stand in solidarity and support Sudanese civilians by amplifying under-represented and under-reported voices and increasing aid to Sudan, in order to ensure that the Sudanese struggle isn’t a forgotten moment in history.
Image: Flickr/Ahmed Rabea
Image changes made: Image cropped at all four sides, occluding signature and date of photographer Ahmed Rabea at top side.
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