4/29/23

 By Aditi Jha

The former prime minister of Sudan, Abdalla Hamdok, has warned that if it isn't ended quickly, the conflict in Africa's third largest country could become one of the world's worst civil wars. The war in Sudan is a result of a fight for power between Sudan's military forces. While General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan leads Sudanese armed forces, the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (also called the RSF) are loyal to former warlord General Mohamad Hamdan Dagalo (He is also called Hemedti.). The RSF was founded by Sudan's previous dictator, Omar al-Bashir. It soon became known for many atrocities and lots of violence. Bashir used the RSF to crush rebellions in Darfur, also sending them to fight in the wars in Yemen and Libya. The RSF and the regular military joined forces to oust Bashir from office in 2019, after which the RSF raped and killed hundreds at a peaceful sit-in protest in Khartoum. Though they have agreed on several truces, battles between al-Burhan's and Dagalo's forces have killed over 500 since it started on April 15th. The latest ceasefire seems to be marginally more effective, though it ends on Sunday at midnight. Civilian deaths continue to increase as crimes spread through Sudan's capital, Khartoum. The city's five million residents, many of whom are confined to their houses and without access to food, water, or electricity, are in hardship. In a conversation in Nairobi, Kenya, with philanthropist Mo Ibraham, Hamdok said, "God forbid if Sudan is to reach a point of civil war proper ... Syria, Yemen, Libya will be a small play... I think it would be a nightmare for the world. ... This is not a war between an army and a small rebellion. It is almost like two armies; well trained and well armed. " He continued to say that it was a "senseless war," and that there "is nobody who is going to come out of this victorious. That is why it has to stop." The UN estimates that almost 75,000 people have been displaced by the conflict in Khartoum. According to Hamdok, the outcome of the civil war could be much worse than the civil wars in Libya and Syria, which resulted in millions of refugees, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and a great deal of instability. The reason why Sudan's stability is important is because it is a geopolitically significant country in Africa. Not only is it one of the largest, but the Nile River also runs through it, which is essential for neighboring Ethiopia's expansive hydro-electric plans as well as Egypt's need for water. Conflicts in Sudan affect the seven countries that it borders; for instance, the violence in Sudan's western Darfur region typically flows into Chad. Given Sudan's importance, many other governments have been trying to have influence over it. Over the past few years, Russia has been negotiating a number of agreements in order to establish a military facility in Port Sudan and acquire access to one of the busiest and most contentious water lanes in the world. If Sudan, a nation with international significance, escalates into a worse conflict, it could have negative repercussions for the world. 

That's the news for today! Stay safe!