Sudan conflict: What are other countries' interests? | DW News

Key Concepts

• El Fasher Crisis: The seizure of El Fasher city by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leading to a humanitarian catastrophe.
• Humanitarian Situation: Severe scarcity of resources, displacement of civilians, mass killings, sexual violence, and beatings.
• Refugee Camps/IDP Camps: Locations like Tawila and Zamzam serving as temporary shelters for displaced individuals.
• External Interference: Involvement of foreign nations (e.g., UAE) with strategic and economic interests in Sudan, supplying arms to warring factions.
• War Economies: The establishment of informal economies by warring factions to finance their conflicts, including illegal gold smuggling.
• Attacks on Healthcare Facilities: The deliberate targeting of hospitals, such as the al-Fasher Saudi Hospital, resulting in mass casualties.
• Disease Outbreaks: Concurrent health crises including cholera, measles, dengue, malaria, and rising polio cases.
• International Community's Role: Criticism of the international community's perceived silence and lack of decisive action regarding the Sudanese conflict.

El Fasher Crisis and Humanitarian Catastrophe

Thousands of civilians are feared trapped and in imminent danger in El Fasher, Sudan, following its seizure by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last Sunday. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the situation as "absolutely apocalyptic." Survivors who fled to Tawila, approximately 70 kilometers away, reported mass killings, including of children, sexual violence, beatings, and robberies. The United Nations indicates that over 65,000 people have fled El Fasher, but tens of thousands remain.

Survivor Accounts and Conditions in Tawila

Mary Brace, a protection adviser with the NGO Nonviolent Peaceforce, spoke from Tawila, where many El Fasher survivors have taken refuge. She described the situation as "heavy" and "quite difficult to see," with "very, very scarce" resources. The sheer volume of people overwhelms the town's infrastructure. Many survivors are experiencing immense emotional distress, fearing for missing family members and dealing with the loss of loved ones, making any reunions "bittersweet." Basic needs, particularly food, are a struggle. Communal kitchens are working "astronomical jobs" to provide at least one meal per day for new arrivals.

Information from El Fasher

Information from within El Fasher is difficult to obtain. Arriving individuals report being held captive in various locations across the Jalabak area, Jabul Kusa, Gou, and Shaga before their eventual release, often after paying a "large ransom."

Safety and Future Prospects in Tawila

While survivors in Tawila feel a sense of relief and relative safety, acknowledging their gratitude ("Alhamdulillah"), the long-term prospects are uncertain. Many currently in Tawila camps had previously relocated from the Zamzam internally displaced person's (IDP) camp. Some are moving further into the Jelamara area to join family, while others wish to return to El Fasher if possible. Tawila's conditions are not ideal due to scarce resources, and the future remains unknown.

Geopolitical Interests and External Support

Hammed Kafala, a Sudan researcher and policy analyst from the University of Manchester, discussed the motivations behind foreign involvement in the Sudanese conflict.

Strategic Interests of Nations like the UAE

Nations such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are driven by significant strategic interests in Sudan, including:

• Gold and Critical Minerals: Access to Sudan's mineral wealth.
• Agriculture Land: Control over fertile land for agricultural purposes.
• Ports and Red Sea Access: Securing strategic access to the Red Sea and its maritime security.

Kafala noted that the UAE has "imperial ambitions" that fuel its engagement in Sudan and the wider region. He argued that the responsibility for the events in Sudan, particularly in El Fasher, extends beyond the RSF to actors like the UAE and others supplying them with arms.

Alignment with Warring Factions

Different countries align with either the RSF or the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) based on their interests. Many nations seek to prevent the establishment of civilian-led democratic governance in Sudan, as their interests are better served by military actors who facilitate resource exploitation and intervention.

• Support for Military Actors: Countries may choose to support one armed movement over the other to maintain access and facilitate their interventions.
• Ideological Alignments: Some countries friendly with the Islamist movement in Sudan align with the SAF, while those opposed may work with the RSF.
• Complex Relationships: The Egyptian army and SAF have a strong, decades-long alliance. The UAE has utilized both the RSF and SAF to fight in the war in Yemen.

Dependence on External Support

Both warring factions are "completely dependent" on external support for arms supplies due to international sanctions and arms embargoes. They rely on relationships with external actors to access weaponry.

Internal Resources and War Economies

Despite external dependence, both factions also leverage internal resources:

• Illegal Gold Smuggling: Both the RSF and SAF are involved in exporting Sudan's gold outside official markets, generating revenue.
• War Economies: They have established strong "war economies" to finance their ongoing conflicts.

However, their access to the international arena and the "extra financing" they require are contingent on external actors.

Attacks on Healthcare Facilities and Humanitarian Access

Christian Lintm, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, provided details on the attack on the al-Fasher Saudi Hospital.

Verified Attack on Al-Fasher Saudi Hospital

The WHO has verified a "horrifying attack" on the al-Fasher Saudi Hospital through various sources, as the UN currently has no operational presence on the ground. The attack involved:

• Multiple Incursions: Forces entered the hospital at least five to six times over weeks, and at least three times on the day of the attack.
• Abduction and Killing of Staff: Initially, six medical staff (doctors and nurses) were abducted, and some people around were killed.
• Mass Casualties: On subsequent incursions, people were shot, and on the third incursion, "everybody around in the hospital" was shot, including patients and those sheltering there.
• High Casualty Figures: With at least 460 patients and their companions, plus other sheltering individuals, the casualty figures are estimated to be much higher.

Challenges to Humanitarian Aid

Access for humanitarian convoys and supplies to El Fasher and surrounding areas is "difficult if not impossible." Local NGOs and partners are working with limited resources and require medical supplies and other essentials.

Concurrent Health Crises

El Fasher is also facing multiple health emergencies:

• Cholera Outbreak
• Measles Outbreak
• Dengue Outbreak
• Malaria Outbreak
• Rising Polio Cases

These outbreaks exacerbate the suffering of a population already displaced, fleeing, or being shot en route. Peace or at least a ceasefire, along with guarantees for humanitarian convoys, is essential to reach those in need.

International Attention and the Sudanese Conflict

Lintm highlighted the international community's perceived silence and the overshadowing of the Sudan war by conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

The "Sputnik Effect" of Tragic Events

Tragic events like the hospital attack can unfortunately shed light on the crisis, described as a "Sputnik effect in a very, very bad sense." The hope is that these events will finally draw attention to the suffering and deaths.

Call for International Action

Lintm emphasized that the international community, particularly those with power, must "do their utmost to get this to stop." He acknowledged that the conflict is unlikely to end immediately but stressed the imperative for decisive action. The presence of numerous international players with diverse interests, who are reportedly supporting warring factions, needs to be addressed.

Synthesis and Conclusion

The YouTube transcript details a dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in El Fasher, Sudan, following its seizure by the RSF. Survivors recount horrific experiences of mass killings, sexual violence, and displacement, with tens of thousands remaining in danger. The situation is compounded by scarce resources, overwhelmed infrastructure in refuge areas like Tawila, and ongoing disease outbreaks. Geopolitical interests, particularly from nations like the UAE, are fueling the conflict through arms supplies and strategic ambitions, hindering democratic progress. The deliberate targeting of healthcare facilities, as evidenced by the attack on al-Fasher Saudi Hospital, underscores the severity of the violence. Despite the gravity of the situation, the international community's response is criticized as insufficient, with the Sudanese conflict largely overshadowed by other global crises. The transcript concludes with a strong call for urgent international intervention to halt the violence and address the multifaceted humanitarian catastrophe.