In the aftermath of the devastating war that erupted in Sudan in April, our families, like millions of others, have borne the brunt of unimaginable suffering. Despite narrowly escaping with our lives, we've witnessed the harrowing toll on our relatives—some killed in the conflict, others abducted at gunpoint, and many left with homes reduced to rubble.
Receiving heart-wrenching WhatsApp messages from internally displaced family members, those stranded at borders, or those fortunate enough to flee but living in precarious conditions without rights or legal status in neighboring countries, paints a bleak picture of the human cost of this conflict.
For the past nine months, the world has remained largely indifferent to the vicious war unfolding in our homeland. While the Israel-Hamas conflict dominates headlines, the power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has been relegated to a mere footnote on the international agenda.
The root cause of the conflict lies in the rivalry for power between al-Burhan and Hemedti, both once allies, who controlled Sudan alongside other generals following a 2021 coup that ended civilian rule established in the wake of the 2019 pro-democracy movement toppling the longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir.
The tipping point occurred on April 15 when violence erupted in Khartoum, our home city, spreading rapidly across the nation. The toll has been staggering—approximately 10,000 lives lost, though the actual number is likely much higher. With over 6 million people displaced, Sudan now harbors the world's largest displaced population, a number escalating daily as the conflict escalates.
In Darfur, the situation is particularly dire. The RSF, stemming from the notorious Janjaweed militia implicated in the Darfur crisis two decades ago, is on the brink of establishing full control through a ruthless campaign. Sudan teeters on the edge of an abyss, and the world must not remain indifferent to the urgent need for intervention and resolution.
The marauding forces of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied Arab militias, mounted on motorcycles, horses, and pickup trucks, have unleashed a reign of terror across Darfur. Accused of ethnically motivated killings targeting the Massalit and other non-Arab communities, as well as indiscriminate and purposeful attacks on civilians, their brutality extends to widespread sexual violence and rape. The gravity of their actions has led the U.S. government to declare both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF guilty of war crimes, with the RSF additionally charged with crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
In a chilling episode in early November, the RSF and its allies reportedly perpetrated a massacre, claiming the lives of at least 800 people in a single town—Ardamata in West Darfur province. The situation is so dire that a senior U.N. official in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, minced no words, describing the unfolding events as "verging on pure evil."
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has far-reaching consequences, with major refugee flows inundating neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The conflict's ripples are felt across borders, as evidenced by the spillover effects in Chad due to the ongoing fighting in Darfur.
Despite peace talks held last month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, convened by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and East African nations, the situation has not seen any substantive resolution. The United Nations, hampered by gridlock, has been unable to pass meaningful resolutions on Sudan since the conflict's inception. Meanwhile, regional powers have taken sides, with Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia backing the SAF, and the UAE, a member of the UN Security Council, supporting the RSF, potentially violating the body's own arms embargo on Darfur.
Following the failure of last month's peace talks, the international community faces a critical juncture. Urgent action is needed to prioritize genuine peace negotiations, establish a lasting ceasefire, enhance humanitarian access, and allocate resources for aid and protection efforts. The UN's Sudan response plan, requiring $2.6 billion, remains underfunded, emphasizing the pressing need for collective intervention and support to address the escalating crisis.
In the heartbreaking exodus from our homeland, we, like countless Sudanese, find ourselves torn from the embrace of the land and people we hold dear. The Khartoum we once called home has become an unrecognizable landscape, where the streets are now littered with the haunting accumulation of bodies, some left to be consumed by stray dogs. In the midst of heavy shelling, the sick and the weak await an inevitable fate.
Yet, amidst the devastation, the spirit of our nation remains resilient and worth preserving. The very essence of Sudan is at stake, urging us to rally against the impending darkness. Despite the grim realities, there are unsung heroes—everyday Sudanese at the forefront of the humanitarian response. They toil relentlessly to safeguard communities, diligently weaving back the social fabric that this war has callously torn asunder.
In our plea for salvation, we implore the world to stand in solidarity and join the collective struggle to halt this war before it irreversibly extinguishes the flickering hope that remains. The urgency is palpable, and time is of the essence. Together, we can be the beacon of light that guides Sudan back from the brink before it is too late.
In conclusion, the harrowing accounts of Sudan's descent into chaos paint a grim picture of the human toll exacted by this relentless war. The atrocities committed by the RSF and allied militias in Darfur, the displacement of millions, and the crumbling of once-vibrant cities like Khartoum demand urgent attention and intervention from the global community.
As we bear witness to the disintegration of our homeland, the plea is not only one of despair but also a call to action. Ordinary Sudanese, committed to rebuilding and preserving the fabric of their communities, stand as beacons of resilience in the face of adversity. Their efforts, however, are hampered by a world that remains largely indifferent and a United Nations gridlocked in the face of a humanitarian crisis.
The regional power dynamics, with conflicting allegiances and violations of arms embargoes, further complicate the path to resolution. It is a critical juncture that requires decisive international intervention, prioritizing genuine peace talks, securing a durable ceasefire, and ensuring increased humanitarian access. The UN's Sudan response plan, currently underfunded, necessitates an immediate surge of resources to address the escalating crisis.
The plea is clear: the world must unite to end this war before Sudan is irreparably shattered. The survival of a nation and the restoration of hope hinge on swift and concerted efforts to bring about peace, justice, and healing to a land on the brink of irreversible devastation.