SGGP
At least 800 people were killed in just 72 hours over the weekend in fighting between the Sudanese army and the opposition paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The consequences of the conflict, which has lasted since April, are that more than 9,000 people have been killed and more than 5.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes.
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| Citizens of Saudi Arabia and other countries leave Port Sudan on April 22. Photo: Reuters |
According to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), 20.3 million people are facing severe hunger and are dependent on humanitarian aid in Sudan, equivalent to 42% of the Sudanese population. WFP data shows that 6.3 million people are on the brink of starvation, the highest number ever recorded in the country. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 8,000 people have fled Sudan to neighboring Chad in the past week alone. This figure is likely to be much lower than the actual number.
The escalating violence in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to warn on November 12 of the risk of a new genocide. Politico reported that UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi compared the current violence to the previous genocide in Darfur (western Sudan), in which an estimated 300,000 people were killed between 2003 and 2005.
“Twenty years ago, the world was shocked by the atrocities and horrific human rights violations in Darfur. We fear that a similar phenomenon may be taking place. An immediate end to the fighting and unconditional respect for civilians by all sides are essential to avoid another catastrophe,” Grandi said.
The latest talks between the warring parties in Sudan took place on October 26 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The aim was to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, establish a ceasefire and eventually end hostilities. Unfortunately, the talks failed to make any progress. Previous reconciliations between the warring parties in Sudan have only resulted in temporary ceasefires that were systematically violated soon after they were reached. In calling on the international community not to remain silent in the face of violence in Sudan, the United Nations wants the world not to let history repeat itself.
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