The lack of engagement between Sudan and Western audiences  can be explained by  racial empathy bias, as “colorism plays a big factor in wars, genocides, who gets aid, who gets discarded, and whose voices get listened to.” It is important to listen to voices on the ground and in the diaspora to raise awareness and move this conversation beyond social media into mainstream media

 

The Human Cost of Silence: The World Has Failed Sudan
By Fardouza Farah and Aaliyah Khwaja
MPAC Policy Fellows

 

August 19 marked  World Humanitarian Day , commemorating and celebrating the humanitarian workers who work on the frontlines to bring assistance to vulnerable populations around the world. 2023 was a record year for fatalities of aid workers,  with 280 reported in 33 countries . Almost 10 percent of these humanitarian workers were killed in Sudan.

Sudan is home to  archaeological sites, Islamic scholarship, and ethnic diversity, and is the cultural melting pot  of African and Arab cultures. Its people have a beautiful history of resilience and revolution, seen in gaining independence from the United Kingdom and Anglo-Egyptian colonization.

After 30 years under the Omar al Bashir dictatorship, people took to the streets protesting the government in 2019, sparking a revolution that led to the fall of this regime. A military transitional government soon took control, which did not result in the anticipated democratic government. Another coup further cemented military rule in Sudan two years later. These coups would create the two groups now at the forefront of Sudanese politics, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The SAF came to power following the 2019 coup and was the transitional power after the revolution; the RSF gained power during the 2021 coup. The RSF was created by al Bashir to act as a paramilitary force to help maintain his power. It evolved from the Janjaweed militias which were infamous for their role in the Darfur conflict, where they were involved in brutal counterinsurgency campaigns against rebel groups and civilians. The RSF and the SAF have since been at odds as they both compete for power and territory.

In April 2023, a civil war broke out between the two groups as fighting escalated in the capital city, Khartoum. This is  likely the worst humanitarian crisis  in the world, as millions are displaced, malnourished, injured, and murdered by warring factions. Not only is there widespread suffering and casualties but minimal global attention surrounding the Sudanese conflict. There is definitely room for awareness and education on current affairs, external factors, international consequences, and intersectionality between the humanitarian crisis and global imperialism in Sudan. 

The continuous suffering of people throughout the Middle East and Africa seems to be misrepresented by mainstream media and portrays these populations as vulnerable and distant. Therefore, the  othering  of these populations, especially in Africa, makes it even more difficult to plead the case of Sudan to the international community. This suffering is yet  another case  of the very international mechanisms made to address and respond to conflict, and the norms to protect humanitarian and civilian infrastructures that have been left unchecked and neglected. This is mirrored in the neglect of this population, sustaining an approach of selective empathy and dehumanization of the Sudanese, as the world turns a blind eye to the current famine of  26 million  people. 

Sudanese liberation is deeply intertwined with the global struggle for African causes – it is a continuation of willful ignorance regarding the African continent. The lack of engagement between Sudan and Western audiences  can be explained by  racial empathy bias, as “colorism plays a big factor in wars, genocides, who gets aid, who gets discarded, and whose voices get listened to.” It is important to listen to voices on the ground and in the diaspora to raise awareness and move this conversation beyond social media into mainstream media. The deliberate neglect of this conflict is promoted by the lack of dialogue on Sudan in the press, and the inaccessibility of information. Sudan is not complicated; it is just forgotten.  

Sixteen months of civil war between the SAF and RSF has led to mass death and displacement in Sudan. To make matters worse, gathering an accurate death toll is a challenge due to the lack of accessible documentation with estimates ranging from  16,0000 to 150,000 people . It has been  reported  by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that this is the largest displacement and protection crisis in the world, with the highest number of children displaced. Moreover, the existing limitations on humanitarian intervention and assistance is even more acute for the vulnerable populations of Sudan. 

Along with the massacre of human life in Sudan, the displacement of the Sudanese people demands urgent attention. 24.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, which is half of the population. This conflict has damaged infrastructure such as water, healthcare, banking, electricity, security, telecommunications, and more. In addition, the almost five million internally displaced people are facing  such restrictions and challenges . These are deplorable conditions, with food weaponized by warring factions and humanitarian aid being blocked.

In addition, the RSF is conducting gender-based violence in Sudan which includes kidnapping, harrassment, sexual exploitation, and gang rape. The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR)  reports  on weaponized rape and sexual exploitation in Sudan, as “men identified as members of the RSF are using rape and sexual violence of women and girls as tools to punish and terrorize communities. Some of the reported rapes appear to be ethnically and racially motivated.”

In this context, the RSF has a long history of ethnic violence. The targeting and massacre of the  Masalit people  reflect an Arab centered agenda in Sudan. This ethnic cleansing is seen most in El Fasher and El Geneina; one instance which reflects this is a  mass grave  from June 2024 found with almost 90 Masalit bodies.

Refugees from Sudan have  fled to neighboring countries  such as Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan; and Sudan shares borders with other conflict prone countries such as the Central African Republic, Eritrea, and Libya. As this conflict has passed the one-year mark, the international community must address the consequences as this spills over to a region already facing immense suffering. 

Egypt aligns with the SAF, and the United Arab Emirates has been a staunch supporter of the RSF; the involvement of these countries has prolonged this conflict by providing the funding and arms to the respective forces. As a result, Egypt and the UAE are furthering their political agendas at the cost of human life. Notably, the UAE uses its position to hold a monopoly over the political and economic landscape of Sudan through the RSF. In Darfur,  gold  is mined and often sent to the UAE, which supports its financial autonomy and military funding.

While the United States foreign policy regarding Sudan has missed the mark on numerous occasions following the 2021 coup and 2023 revolution, there has been  constructive engagement  to reach a ceasefire in Sudan. Recently, the United States, and co-mediators Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, met with delegates from the RSF for  peace talks , following which three  humanitarian corridors  through Chad opened to allow for the delivery of aid to 20 million people.

It is evident that the broader international community is failing to adequately support ongoing humanitarian efforts in Sudan. We strongly urge the US administration to continue their peacemaking efforts in addition to consider the following:

1. Increase funding for humanitarian assistance sent to Sudan 

• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that their “ Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan ” requires $2.7 billion to provide sufficient aid to Sudan, but only 37 percent of that has been funded thus far. Although the United States has provided half of these funds, it should continue this momentum in protecting civilians, and using this as leverage in peace talks with the SAF and RSF.
• While the total US  humanitarian assistance in sub-Saharan Africa  is more than $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2024 to meet the needs of refugees and displaced populations, the United States must urge its allies and partners to contribute to this effort in the region.

2. Enforce international frameworks which protect humanitarian workers and aid

• The United States must uphold international law including  UN Resolution 74/116  on the Safety and Security of Humanitarian Personnel and Protection of UN Personnel to ensure that humanitarian and resettlement resources reach civilians in Sudan. 

3. Establish a clear pathway for refugees to seek safety in the United States.

• More than  2 million  displaced people have fled Sudan in the past sixteen months to neighboring countries, with at least 600,000 seeking refuge in Chad and 100,000 to Libya. The United States has provided almost $162 million in humanitarian assistance to Chad in fiscal year 2024, including at least  $70 million  in response to the needs of those affected by the ongoing crisis in Sudan. 
• Ensuring that neighboring countries have the financial resources to support refugees is a crucial first step; however, given the magnitude of the crisis, the Biden Administration must establish a clear pathway for refugees to seek safety in the United States.

4. Urge the United Arab Emirates to halt weapons supplies to the RSF

• In December 2023, ten Congressmembers sent a  letter  to the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs expressing their concern of material support for the RSF. This request must be followed up to reinforce the potential risk to the US-UAE relationship.
• Arms provisions to the RSF are a violation of the United Nations Arms Embargo for Darfur in UN Security Council  Resolution 1591 . The United States must work in its capacity to uphold international law for the greater good of the Sudanese people.

We welcome the efforts of the US State Department and USAID for their diplomatic and humanitarian assistance during this conflict. At this crucial moment, mediation must continue while considering  additional factors  that will bring more harm to the civilian population. The effects of climate change, particularly flooding, will lead to greater displacement and a rise in illness such as cholera. 

This administration has demonstrated that it is capable of bolstering productive dialogue in Sudan, and devoting sufficient resources to aiding a population caught in the crossfire of political strife. The lives of Sudanese civilians are no less deserving of greater international attention and support. It is the duty of the United States to affirm our commitment to peaceful transitions of power, and to hold regional actors accountable for actions that hinder the creation and mobility of free and fair democratic nations.