Desperate: Since the war started 13 million Sudanese civilians have been displaced. Photo: Jérôme Tubiana/Crisis Group
It is disappointing how the world has been silent over the ongoing deadly conflict in Sudan, which has displaced more than 13 million people, left millions in need of humanitarian aid and killed about 150 000 people. Despite the amplified efforts of international media outlets in reporting on the Sudanese civil war, the international community has continued to ignore the cries of the country’s helpless people, in particular its children.
Since April 2023, at the start of this war, many women and children have experienced sexual violence, which is used as a weapon of war by the paramilitary organisation Rapid Support Group, which has been waging a war against the Sudanese army. It is heartbreaking to witness how the world has muted its conscience, leaving the security concerns of the Sudanese people to echo unanswered.
This reminds one of the 1994 Rwandan genocide — 100 days of slaughter, which is believed to have left at least 800 000 people dead. When it was taking place, the international community focused solely on the historical political transition in South Africa, where the first black president, Nelson Mandela, was elected into office. At the same time, the football fanatics were living their best lives as they attended the Fifa World Cup hosted in the United States, while multitudes of people were mercilessly killed and millions displaced into different countries from the East African country, Rwanda.
The African Union is the enabler of the military and political chaos taking place in Sudan, largely because of its lack of decisiveness. The AU is a paper tiger. On the surface, it strives to display the image of a functioning and authoritative continental body, yet in reality, it is anything but. It has set itself the bigger, bolder and ambitious goal of “silencing the guns By 2030”. This will not be achieved with the current political attitude from those at the helm of power at the AU and African governments.
Although South Africa, without much success, had intervened in the political and military crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for years, it is disappointing that Africa has to rely on foreign countries to foster peace, security and stability in their own backyard. This should be a wake-up call to all African countries, the AU and the regional bodies to strengthen their capacity to mitigate and prevent conflicts without reliance on other countries.
The Sudanese civil war should be a test for the African governments through the AU, having a responsibility to immediately stop the war and let the people live in peace and security. The AU has failed to pursue cessations of hostilities in the Sudanese civil war because of a lack of political will, limited resources and visible divisions in the region.
What makes the conflict more complex is the external interference, largely driven by the interests of middle powers such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar. Vested interests from neighbouring countries such as Kenya and Uganda present cumbersome challenges to addressing this conflict.
The fact that the Sudanese civil war has entered its third year is a testament to the failure of diplomacy by the AU and the entire international community. There is so much silence and inaction over this conflict, in which multitudes of innocent people are killed daily, while many are displaced.
The deafening silence of the AU and African governments remains one of the chief enablers of ongoing conflicts across the continent. This inertia underscores the urgent need to overhaul the AU’s conflict-resolution mechanisms and to strengthen its capacity to act decisively through both diplomatic and political channels.
It is undeniable that every conflict in Africa reverberates far beyond its immediate borders, destabilising neighbouring states and undermining the continent’s collective progress. For this reason, African leaders cannot afford to remain bystanders in the face of crises such as the civil war in Sudan.
It is morally indefensible for the world to turn its back on the cries of the Sudanese people, who look to the international community for solidarity and decisive intervention.
The responsibility to secure peace and stability does not rest solely with governments. Media, activists, academics, researchers, politicians and civil society have a duty to work alongside African governments, the AU and the international community in championing peace and security. This obligation extends to other conflict-ridden regions such as the DRC, where war continues to devastate millions of lives.
Kenneth Mokgatlhe is a fellow at the Middle East African Research Institute.