Echoes of Rwanda: Sudan Faces the Worst Humanitarian Crisis in the World
To truly grasp the roots of the crisis and the staggering losses endured, it’s essential to understand the conflict’s origin and the geopolitical dynamics fueling it. For a more in-depth background on the conflict, including its causes and potential solutions, please read The Ongoing Crisis in Sudan and a Call for Global Action, available here.
The ongoing occupation of Sudan has had devastating effects; escalating violence to the point where more than 14 million people have been displaced. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia group primarily funded by the United Arab Emirates and a key defense ally of the United States, have forced foreign NGOs and humanitarian organizations to leave Sudan due to extreme instability and deliberate attacks. This withdrawal has left the people in chaos, forcing them to bury their own dead. The UAE’s involvement has not only destabilized Sudan but also exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe with the deliverance of weapons disguised as aid through the Emirati Red Crescent. This “humanitarian organization” is supposed to adhere to the International Red Cross. This use of humanitarian routes has intensified the violence, putting people at greater risk and further straining Sudan’s already precarious infrastructure and resources. As a result of these actions, Sudanese citizens now face harsh conditions with little outside assistance.
As priceless items are smuggled and sold, sometimes to unidentified internet purchasers, the robbery of Sudan’s national treasures has had a startling impact on the nation’s cultural identity. The Sudanese National Museum is a significant institution that houses more than 100,000 artifacts from Sudan’s history including the Islamic and ancient Kush periods, is one of the most severely damaged places. In addition to unique ceramics, statues, and paintings that chronicle Sudan’s development over the millennia, this extensive collection is home to some of the oldest mummies in the world, dating back to 2,500 B.C. The remains of the National Museum, which were previously treasures protected as Sudanese heritage, are now showing up on websites like eBay, unidentifiable of Sudanese identity.
The British launched the Gezira Project in 1925, transforming Sudan’s Al-Jazīrah region into a major agricultural center and establishing the foundation of Sudan’s agricultural sector. Over time, the project grew to become the world’s largest centrally-managed irrigation system, showcasing the resilience and strength of Sudanese agriculture. As a critical part of the nation’s economy, it demonstrated the success of large-scale agricultural engineering and provided food security and economic stability. However, ongoing looting has dealt a catastrophic blow to this essential resource. The RSF has seized crops, agricultural goods, and crucial machinery from the project, impeding its ability to function. Destroying this equipment has deepened Sudan’s severe food crisis, intensifying famine nationwide. As the RSF continues to take and damage the project’s infrastructure, they sever this once-reliable lifeline, destabilizing Sudan’s economy and depriving millions of essential resources. This looting, alongside the theft of national artifacts, highlights the vast humanitarian and cultural losses Sudan faces amid relentless exploitation and violence.
Following RSF General Abu Aqla Kaykal’s surrender to the Sudanese Armed Forces, the RSF retaliated by violently raping, plundering, and murdering people all around Al Jazeera. In the village of Al Sareeha, all men were lined up and put to death while the RSF militia kidnapped the women and ruthlessly killed the children, leaving at least 500 dead. The RSF is determined to exterminate all Sudanese people and take over the country. This attack is just one of many horrifying ones they have launched. Tragically, authorities find Sudanese women drowned in the Nile and other bodies of water, highlighting the country’s femicide crisis. Many women, believing that death is their only escape from the abuse, have taken their own lives due to the pervasive fear of rape and murder at the hands of the RSF militia. This catastrophe evokes a dark chapter in Sudanese history when, during British colonialism in Al-Matama, Shendi of the River Nile State, women chose death over the violation of their dignity by tying themselves together with traditional Sudanese cloth and jumping into the Nile.
In addition to recognizing these women’s tenacity, this genocide requires immediate action to break the cycles of generational abuse. Children in Sudan should not only live but flourish, free from the terrible effects of war and imperialism that threw them into a vicious pattern of violence and hopelessness. They shouldn’t have to tolerate the atrocities of a genocidal group that aims to eradicate their existence and culture due to uncontrollable circumstances. Sudanese kids deserve to grow up in a secure setting where they may explore their identities, achieve their goals, and pursue a future full of opportunity and optimism.
Humanitarian groups, the United Nations (UN), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have labeled the ongoing conflict in Sudan as the worst war in Africa currently. They warn that it could even surpass the horrors witnessed during the Rwandan genocide. The Sudanese people, once united in their aspirations for democracy and independence, now find themselves trapped in a conflict fueled by external powers that exploit chaos for their regional ambitions. The RSF, notorious for their ethnic targeting of non-Arab groups in Darfur, have expanded their brutality into the rest of Sudan, unleashing mass suffering and instilling fear. Their actions aim to erase entire communities, systematically dismantling the spirits of Sudanese families through massacres, torture, and destruction. As the crisis deepens in Al-Jazirah, the silence from the international community and the lack of regional intervention allow these atrocities to persist unchecked. Amidst this turmoil, Sudanese women and the broader population endure relentless violence, a reality that few outside Sudan seem willing to confront.
During the humanitarian crisis, Spelman College student activists have emerged as leading voices for the Sudanese people. Organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine, Spelmanites United for Justice, and the AUC Student Intercommunal Coordinating Committee (AUC SICC) have played a crucial role in bringing attention to and supporting individuals impacted by the conflict. Spelman students within AUC SICC raised $10,000 for Sudanese kitchens, aiding in the feeding of vulnerable and displaced people who are experiencing food insecurity. In addition to providing for urgent needs, these organizations are actively advocating for justice and aid for Sudan. Their work emphasizes the Spelman motto as these students are truly making a choice to change the world.
References
Altayeb, Abdalrahman. “Hundreds Killed in Days as War in Sudan Surges.” The New York Times, 26 October 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/26/world/africa/sudan-war-killings.html. Accessed 29 October 2024.
Salem, Muneera. “Colonial Moral Economy and the Discipline of Development: The Gezira Scheme and "Modern" Sudan.” UC Irvine, https://sites.socsci.uci.edu/~vbernal/bio/Bernal-CA2.pdf. Accessed 29 October 2024.
Salih, Zeinab Mohammed. “Tens of thousands of artefacts looted from Sudan museum, says official.” The Guardian, 9 September 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/09/sudan-national-museum-khartoum-artefacts-looted. Accessed 29 October 2024.
Want to write for the Blue Record Blog?
Review our Guidelines and submit today!
