Sudan's forgotten war: Famine, displacement and mass atrocities | DW News

Key Concepts

• Sudan Civil War: A conflict entering its fourth year between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
• Humanitarian Crisis: Described by the UN as the world’s worst, involving mass displacement, famine, and systemic sexual violence.
• Genocide Indicators: Findings by the UN fact-finding mission suggesting deliberate extermination efforts against specific ethnic groups (e.g., the Zagawa and the Fur).
• Accountability Mechanisms: The push for International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction expansion and international legal intervention to end the cycle of impunity.
• Indiscriminate Warfare: The use of drones and heavy artillery against civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, markets, and displacement camps.

1. The Humanitarian Crisis: Scope and Scale

The conflict in Sudan has resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian disaster that international observers label an "abandoned crisis."

• Displacement: Approximately 12 to 14 million people have been displaced from their homes.
• Food Insecurity: Nearly 24 million people face acute hunger, with reports of civilians resorting to eating animal feed and sand to survive.
• Sexual Violence: Rape is being utilized as a weapon of war on an "industrial scale," with systemic targeting of women and girls.
• Casualties: Hundreds of thousands have been killed, with drone strikes alone accounting for at least 700 deaths since January.

2. Historical Context and Political Triggers

The current war is the culmination of a failed transition to democracy:

• 2019 Uprising: Following the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir, the country moved toward a democratic path.
• 2021 Coup: The fragile alliance between the Sudanese Army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) collapsed after they jointly deposed civilian leaders, leading to the current power struggle.
• Urban Warfare: Fighting in Khartoum, a city of 6 million, has left much of the infrastructure in ruins, forcing millions to flee.

3. Methodology of the UN Fact-Finding Mission

Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, a member of the UN’s independent fact-finding mission, outlined the framework for their investigation:

• Mandate: Established in October 2023, the mission is tasked with documenting violations of international humanitarian law, identifying perpetrators, and establishing root causes.
• Evidence Gathering: The team conducts direct interviews with survivors in refugee camps (Chad, Kenya, Uganda), human rights defenders, and medical professionals.
• Legal Classification: The mission uses the term "hallmarks of genocide" to describe the systematic targeting of protected populations, specifically the Zagawa and the Fur, characterized by deliberate starvation and mass killings.

4. Key Arguments and Perspectives

• The Failure of Domestic Justice: Professor Ezeilo argues that domestic or municipal accountability mechanisms are insufficient due to the deep-seated culture of impunity in Sudan. She advocates for an international approach, specifically expanding the ICC’s jurisdiction to cover the entire country, not just the Darfur region.
• The "Weaponization" of Drones: Both the SAF and RSF are accused of using drones indiscriminately. While the RSF is identified as the primary perpetrator of war crimes in areas like El Fasher, both sides are documented striking civilian infrastructure, including teaching hospitals and displacement camps.
• Journalistic Polarization: Journalist Naba Muhedin highlights the extreme danger faced by the press. Journalists are often forced to self-censor or face threats from both sides, as reporting on "normalcy" or "peace" is often interpreted by warring factions as support for the opposing camp.

5. Notable Quotes

• Professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo: "There is a deliberate intent to exterminate them [the Zagawa and the Fur] all in whole or in part. And these are things that show or demonstrate that hallmark of genocide."
• Naba Muhedin: "Since April 15th, people are only surviving. They are not living a whole life."

6. Synthesis and Conclusion

The situation in Sudan is a multi-layered catastrophe characterized by a total breakdown of governance and the systematic targeting of civilians. The conflict has evolved into a war of attrition where both the SAF and RSF utilize indiscriminate force, leading to a massive displacement crisis that remains largely under-reported by the global community.

The primary takeaway is that durable peace is impossible without accountability. Previous cycles of violence in Sudan have gone unpunished, emboldening current actors. The UN mission emphasizes that the international community must move beyond abstract legal exercises and prioritize the expansion of ICC jurisdiction and the protection of civilian infrastructure to prevent the conflict from escalating further into full-scale genocide.