Sudan, one of the largest and most heavily populated countries in Africa, is ungoing a violent civil war between its government and a rogue group of rebels. In just two years, the war has caused the death of more than an estimated 150,000 civilians through the combination of bombardments, massacres, starvation, and disease.
A Disorderly History
The country of Sudan gained independence from joint Anglo-Egyptian rule in 1956 and has since struggled to achieve peace and stability. There have been over 20 different coups that have overthrown the previous government and created a new one. Sudan has also faced two previous long-term civil wars that killed 1.5 million people and ultimately led to the independence of South Sudan in 2011, causing major loss of territory and land. Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. According to a recent report from NPR, nearly 400,000 Sudanese face starvation; additionally, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) states that more than 17.3 million people in Sudan already lacked access to safe drinking water before the recent civil war.
Despite Sudan’s political instability, it was still a place where many people went to seek out working opportunities. “I know people…friends of friends from Morocco who went to Sudan to work, and find better opportunities, so it’s not like the country was never always viewed as a bad place,” Moroccan exchange student, Mohammd Chiyat, said.
Sudanese Civil War
Sudan faces another civil war due to outrage against the country’s authoritarian leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. On April 15, 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese militia force that was formerly served under the Sudanese government, attacked several areas of importance to the Sudanese military, including the country’s largest airport, which resulted in several foreigners, including journalists, being trapped in the war-torn country.
Exchange student Ahmed Mohammed Alhassan managed to get out of Sudan nearly two weeks before the start of the conflict, but still has family living through in eastern Sudan, facing challenges brought on by the civil war
“I left Sudan before the war,” he said. “The situation is awful there, mostly in the west, because no one can come in and help the people there, I don’t have family in the west side, but the whole country is bad, even the capital because everything is destroyed [including] hospitals I really don’t know about it but there is a lot of disease there, but its their only option its the only good and safe place [and] its near the Red Sea.”
El Fasher Massacre
The city of El Fasher is located in western Sudan, where the most violent and catastrophic part of the conflict is occurring. The city was the site of a major siege that lasted 18 months before falling to RSF forces in October. While thousands of El Fasher citizens managed to escape during the attack on the nearby town of Tawila, 250,000 to 260,000 civilians remained trapped in the city. An estimated 260,000 citizens remain trapped in the city. RSF forces have attacked any citizen who crosses their path.
“If you go outside, then you get kidnapped,” Chiyat said. “You can’t even ensure safety there anymore.”
Since the city has been cut off from any communication, there is no way of determining how many people have been killed as a result of the RSF takeover. However, some sources indicate that the death toll may be anywhere from 2,500 to 10,000.
Aid To Sudan
The United Nations has been working tirelessly to supply the citizens of Sudan with humanitarian aid. Workers have successfully been able to bring food and medical supplies to over 13.5 million Sudanese people. While the conflict in Sudan does not see an end in sight in the near future, the UN has insisted it will continue to send aid and support to the refugees for as long as necessary.
