Concerns mount as rival armed groups position for a major battle, raising the specter of widespread ethnic violence
North Macedonia (Brussels Morning Newspaper) While the world’s attention remains fixated on conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, a dire situation is unfolding in Sudan, where an alarming escalation of violence has resulted in at least 1,000 deaths in just two days last week. The international community’s relative silence on the atrocities in Sudan, coupled with fears of another ethnic cleansing, underscores a pressing humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region.
As the flags of Ukraine and Palestine dominate rallies in European capitals, the Sudanese flag, bearing a striking resemblance to the latter, is conspicuously absent from the streets and social media. The European Union’s condemnation of the “ethnic cleansing campaign” by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on November 12 serves as a stark reminder of the overlooked genocide in Darfur.
In the shadow of global conflicts, eyewitnesses are sounding alarm bells about mass killings, burned villages, and aggressions by the RSF targeting the non-Arab Masalit tribe in Ardamata, West Darfur. A hundred shelters were razed to the ground in Ardamata, one of many camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) created during the well-documented genocide in Darfur from 2003 to 2008. The region, equivalent in size to France, houses six million inhabitants from nearly 100 tribes.
The European Union’s limited response and the disparity in attention between conflicts in Africa and those in closer proximity to Europe highlight the presence of double standards in addressing human rights violations. Beyond the immediate humanitarian concerns, the geopolitical realities in Sudan and its neighboring regions pose a serious risk of spillover effects and heightened regional tensions.
With a history marred by violence, displacement, and ethnic tensions, Sudan faces a critical juncture as the RSF, mobilized in mid-April, gains control of Darfur. The United Nations reports at least 9,000 deaths, 5.6 million displaced, and 25 million people in need of humanitarian aid since the conflict’s outbreak. As the world grapples with crises elsewhere, the lives of the people in Darfur must not be overlooked, and urgent international intervention is crucial to prevent the region from descending further into the depths of violence and despair.
EU Overflow?
Considering the rising number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the situation is poised to worsen with heightened food insecurity due to limited cultivation and an anticipated poor harvest.
Situated adjacent to Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Eritrea, and Egypt, Sudan finds itself in the immediate vicinity of the European neighborhood. The ongoing conflict in Africa’s third-largest country by area has the potential for consequences surpassing even the fallout from the collapse in Libya, raising concerns for the European Union and beyond.
A significant threat looms in the form of spillover effects into neighboring countries, potentially escalating regional tensions. Furthermore, given Sudan’s historical ties to Osama bin Laden, there is a legitimate concern about the resurgence of Islamist influences within the country. The situation is compounded by worries of a proxy conflict, with reports indicating that the United Arab Emirates is supplying weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
