Civil war and humanitarian crisis
How can Sudan be pacified?
Around a million people have fled from Sudan to Chad
© Joris Bolomey / AFP
An absurd power struggle in Sudan escalated into a civil war that has forced millions of people to flee. Peace talks have so far been unsuccessful. The conflict is considered the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
How can Sudan be pacified? There has been a dispute about this for many years that is almost as old as this one Conflict itself. In 2013, dictator Umar al-Bashir founded the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to put down uprisings. Meanwhile, the current RSF chief Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo is fighting against the de facto ruling General Abd al-Fattah al-Burhan, his former boss. An absurd power struggle that escalated into a civil war, costing almost 15,000 lives and forcing millions to flee. 17 of the 49 million Sudanese are at acute risk of hunger, although everyone in the country could make a living in peacetime.
All initiatives to end the conflict have so far failed. The opponents do not care about the fate of the population. Both are interested in enriching themselves from the country’s natural resources. Even the transport of aid is not possible unhindered. Experts such as the former UN special envoy Volker Perthes demand that the financial resources of the warring parties must be dried up – above all, gold exports from the country, with which both sides finance themselves, must be stopped. This seems to be the best solution, perhaps the only one. Talks have had no effect so far. Each of the opponents presents themselves as legitimate rulers.
Humanitarian aid for Sudan
The Emirates and Russia support the RSF with hidden arms deliveries, while Egypt and Iran support the Sudanese army. The EU sends money for humanitarian aid and the “appeal for peace”. The fact that British government officials are holding secret talks with the RSF is causing outrage among human rights groups. This gives the 100,000-strong private army, which commits the worst human rights violations, the image of a trustworthy partner. This strengthens their position and prolongs the conflict, which is not only considered the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, but also has the potential to completely destabilize the entire region between the Sahel, North Africa and the Horn of Africa. Peace talks have just begun in Saudi Arabia, once again. A military victory for one side seems unlikely; further escalation is more likely.