The civil war fought in Sudan since April 2023 is one of the largest
ongoing military conflicts, both in terms of the number of victims andthe territorial scope of the fighting. Yet it receives very little media
attention, and it is rare to hear news about it or about solidarity
initiatives for the Sudanese people, who, despite themselves, are caught
up in it and are suffering its grave consequences. Precisely to
acknowledge and denounce the current humanitarian, social, and
environmental crisis created by this forgotten war, it is appropriate to
recount its history, attempting to identify its causes and most
significant developments.
The current territory of Sudan was reduced in 2011 following a civil war
that led to the separation of the southern territories of the country,
leading to the establishment of the new state of South Sudan. In
present-day Sudan, an Islamist dictatorship has been in place since
1989, continuously led by General Omar al-Bashir; It ended on April 11,
2019, with a military coup conducted after four months of popular
protests. The Transitional Military Council government was subsequently
established, and a few months later, the Sovereign Council of Sudan, a
civilian and military government entrusted with the leadership of Sudan
until the democratic transition scheduled for 2022. However, this
transition did not take place because on October 25, 2021, another coup,
led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (former president of the Sovereign
Council), imposed a new military government.
General al-Burhan became Sudan's new head of state. He decided to
restart the process of democratic transition by appointing Abdalla
Hamdok, who had served as prime minister during the Sovereign Council
government, as prime minister. Hamdok resigned on January 2, 2022,
following the violent state repression of anti-military protests. He was
succeeded by Osman Hussein. Sudan continued to experience severe
political instability, which led, in April 2023, to a coup attempt led
by the paramilitary organization known as the Rapid Support Forces
(RSF), led by General Mohammed Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, former
vice president of the Sovereign Council. Since then, Sudan has been in a
war between the RSF and the regular armed forces for control of the
country. Over the past few months, the RSF have occupied the Darfur
region, which constitutes the westernmost part of Sudan. Government
forces maintain control of the capital (Khartoum) and a large area in
the east. The war is also being fought by other factions that control
smaller parts of the territory.
The clashes between the factions have so far resulted in more than
150,000 civilian casualties and the displacement of millions of people
from their homes (more than 10 million are estimated to be displaced out
of a total population of approximately 40 million). Another consequence
of the war is widespread famine affecting millions of Sudanese, 600,000
of whom are experiencing "extreme famine." The deprivation caused by the
war has increased the spread of diseases such as malaria, typhoid,
dengue, and cholera among the population.
Meanwhile, the factions fighting in Sudan have established direct
relationships with state institutions in several foreign countries, and
the course of the conflict itself appears to be influenced by the
interests and intervention of these countries. Some sources have
revealed military support for the two factions from Egypt, Russia,
Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates at various stages of the conflict,
as well as Turkey's commercial involvement, which reportedly sold
weapons to both the RSF and the regular armed forces. An investigation
also revealed that Italy provided military training to the RSF in 2022
in exchange for the RSF's control of the Sudan-Libya border, thus
preventing migrants from crossing into Libyan territory. The news of
Italy's support for the RSF is confirmed by a statement from Hemedti
himself.
Opposition to the civil war within Sudan is evidenced by online articles
and press releases reporting a harsh crackdown on anti-military
initiatives, resulting in the arrest, torture, and killing of Sudanese
anti-war activists. A press release states that the Sudanese Anarchist
Federation (SAF), one of the most committed anti-war groups, has
launched an international fundraising campaign that has so far allowed
several comrades to escape dangerous situations and continue their
militant activities (including through the purchase of a clandestine
printing press), both inside and outside Sudan. Internationalist and
international solidarity with these comrades continues today, and we
appeal to it against all wars and all forms of power.
Stevo
https://www.sicilialibertaria.it/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
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