Sudan trapped in a “doom loop of silence” after one year of war and humanitarian nightmare

Rachid had already fled her neighborhood in Nyala, Darfur for another since the war in Sudan began in April 2023. Now, with the genocidal Rapid Support Forces (RSF) —an Arab supremacist paramilitary group that has plagued the country for years— on the verge of taking over Sudan’s second largest city, she decided it was time to head for the border with South Sudan.

“I don’t remember what day I ran,” Rachid says. “I thought to be a woman when the janjaweed (RSF) come will mean evil done upon me. My friend was raped by them before. They do this to the black women. They hate us.”

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Map: UNOCHA showing displacement and refugee movements. Click or tap to expand.

It was mid-October 2023. Several weeks of brutal battles between the RSF and national army had already made parts of Nyala a ghost town. Areas of the city under RSF control were being looted and terrified citizens were being sexually assaulted, tortured, and executed at the hands of the notorious paramilitary group. Rachid said the army made no effort to protect citizens. The situation was going from bad to worse very quickly.

“Running west to Chad was no good because the janjaweed were everywhere,” Rachid describes. “Running to South Sudan was a little safer. Less janjaweed.”

It took Rachid nine days to reach South Sudan. She somehow managed to avoid the RSF patrols that were quickly swarming the region. Rachid eventually stumbled into one of our Sudanese partners who was providing limited ground transport to people fleeing toward South Sudan. She got out just in time: by the end of October the RSF had overrun all of Nyala and most of Darfur.

Rachid now spends her days yearning to go home, but she knows she can’t until the RSF are gone. “As long as the janjaweed exists no one in Sudan is safe,” she says. “I don’t know where any of my family is. I don’t know if they are alive. No one can tell us when or how our nightmare ends.”

Sudan is home to the largest emergency in the world

Rachid’s story is shared by countless other Sudanese. As the country enters another year of war between Sudan’s ruthless national army and the barbaric Rapid Support Forces, generals on both sides have brought on the largest general displacement, child displacement, hunger, childhood education, and medical emergencies in the world.

The statistics are impossible to fathom. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —half the country— are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Over 8 million are displaced in Sudan’s borders or have fled the country altogether. 730,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and nearly 20 million more can no longer attend school.

Entire swaths of Sudan are too dangerous to access to try to determine a death and injury toll. What we do know is that all estimates are a severe undercount. As refugees pour into neighboring countries, they bring with them stories of mass graves, neighborhoods leveled and villages massacred, and soldiers and militias torturing and executing unarmed civilians viewed as “belonging” to the “other side.”

One recent estimate put the national death toll at 14,790 people. Meanwhile, a leaked United Nations report from three months ago suggests that up to 15,000 of the ethnic Masalit people were slaughtered in a single city during April-June of 2023 alone. It must be assumed that Sudan’s death toll is likely already soaring into the mid tens of thousands, if not higher. And with pockets of famine already breaking out in the hardest hit areas, the United Nations estimates that 230,000 children, pregnant women, and new mothers will die in the coming months due to hunger.

Behind all these hard-to-grasp numbers though are innumerable stories just like Rachid’s. No person should have to live like this. This is neither the life she signed up for nor the one she deserves. Understandably, she is baffled that the world seems not to have noticed.

A child is loaded into a truck taking people fleeing Sudan's war from Joda, on the Sudanese border, to Renk in South Sudan, where they will stay in a transit camp before they are transported further into the country. (Photo by Sally Hayden, Sipa via AP Images)

Reckoning with Sudan’s “doom loop” of silence

Sudan rarely shows up on anyone’s radar today for a myriad of reasons. The international aid and peacekeeping presence in the country has declined precipitously over the last 10 years. Western media especially has looked away following the U.S. military evacuating embassy staff from Khartoum a year ago. Being a local or international journalist on the ground has never been easy, but it is becoming impossible due to high levels of extreme violence. Both the army and RSF have destroyed or cut cell networks and internet access in parts of the country, making it harder for ordinary Sudanese to get news of their plight out into the world.

Current affairs on the international stage are also keeping eyes away from Sudan. With so much of the world glued to Gaza/Israel and Ukraine, few have noticed that the catastrophe unfolding in Sudan eclipses both of these conflicts…combined. This is not to say what is happening in these two places is unimportant. It is to say what is happening in Sudan very much is.

Little attention means efforts to save lives are severely underfunded. The United Nation’s humanitarian response plans —more than $4 billion needed to keep the situation from merely getting worse— are only 6% funded. That doesn’t include what local Sudanese groups and the few private international organizations left in Sudan like us require to meet the needs the UN won’t get to even if they were fully funded.

Too few resources means fewer international and connected Sudanese eyes and ears on the ground, which means fewer stories and critical information gets back out into the world. And the cycle starts all over again.

This doom loop of silence is compounding the damage of an already horrifying emergency. Given the fact that Sudan rarely shows up in the news, classrooms, and other social settings, it is no surprise that many Americans especially struggle to point to Sudan on a map. Our information environment has not prioritized the Sudanese. As such, good people who would be inclined to help don’t have the opportunity to.

Signs of hope, and the need to get to work

Interestingly, people notice this doom loop when they become aware of what is happening in Sudan. As our organization has introduced new faces to this crisis over the past twelve months, the first question we almost always hear is some form of “why am I just hearing about this now?” Shock is often mixed with frustration, not just with the situation, but with those who can easily break this cycle not doing so.

Some have suggested that world leaders and globally-minded citizens are fatigued with Sudan. An older generation of well-connected activists who dearly love the Sudanese people is a fraction of the size it once was. The days of big name celebrities keeping a sustained light on Sudan are long past. Most of the well-known Congressional champions of the Sudanese people retired years ago.

One can easily despair, but these realities are the closing of but one chapter belonging to a much longer story, most of which has not been written yet. If we’ve learned anything these past twelve months it is that people are more than willing to help, but they have to be educated and asked first.

We know from experience that this takes years of hard work and considerable resources to do at scale. Overcoming this challenge isn’t going to happen from the top down. It falls to ordinary people like us to educate ourselves and commit to standing with our friends in Sudan, no matter what. And we must invite others to join us.

A new generation of engaged American activists allied to Sudanese heroes is called for. There needs to be a sustained effort to cultivate that generation, from the ground up and the middle out, in cities and communities across the United States. This work does not belong to one individual or one organization. It cannot be done overnight. Neither can breaking the doom loop of silence our friends in Sudan are trapped in.

We are doing our part though. From creating new learning resources for classrooms to providing more news and analysis that is free to all, to building simple tools newcomers can use to help educate their friends to launching creative ways they can directly support Sudanese heroes, we are already seeing signs of hope that a new generation of activists can be educated and mobilized to help.

Today marks one year since this emergency in Sudan began. We all have a role to play in helping people like Rachid. Will you join us?

We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Together we are making the story of Sudan known, empowering survivors, and working to build a renewed Sudan from the ground up. And we need your help.

Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as the war spreads and hunger deepens. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

$1,000 - Fully funds one classroom at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp for half a semester.

$500 - Delivers food to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled to South Sudan.

$250 - Provides a daily breakfast to 10 children for an entire month in Adré refugee camp, where many Darfuri genocide survivors now live.

$100 - Supports the monthly work of a sexual assault counselor in Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, Sudan.

$50 - Helps repair classrooms in Yida damaged by seasonal rains and provide for general maintenance.

Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock or Crypto

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.

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• “As long as the janjaweed exist no one in Sudan is safe,” Rachid says. “I don’t know where any of my family is. I don’t know if they are alive. No one can tell us when or how our nightmare ends.” https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-trapped-in-a-doom-loop-of-silence-after-one-year-of-war-and-humanitarian-nightmare

• Sudan is trapped in a “doom loop of silence” after one year of war and a humanitarian nightmare. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-trapped-in-a-doom-loop-of-silence-after-one-year-of-war-and-humanitarian-nightmare

• Sudan’s warring generals have brought on the largest general displacement, child displacement, hunger, childhood education, and medical emergencies in the world. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-trapped-in-a-doom-loop-of-silence-after-one-year-of-war-and-humanitarian-nightmare

• Today marks one year since this emergency in Sudan began. The situation is bleak, largely because the world is not paying attention. We can all play our part in changing that. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-trapped-in-a-doom-loop-of-silence-after-one-year-of-war-and-humanitarian-nightmare

Joint statement in support of progress toward a Crimes Against Humanity treaty

Photo from Canva Pro.

Operation Broken Silence is joining 300+ international organizations and experts to express our support for a global convention on crimes against humanity. As an organization working in Sudan’s war zones for more than a decade, we have seen firsthand why the world needs a crimes against humanity treaty.

Together, we are urging states to utilize the 2024 April Resumed Session of the UN’s Sixth Committee to express strong support for a procedure to be adopted at the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly to move the Draft Articles on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity forward to negotiations for a treaty. You can view the joint statement below.

What are crimes against humanity?

Crimes against humanity are defined in Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as:

“any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack: Murder; Extermination; Enslavement; Deportation or forcible transfer of population; Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law; Torture; Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity; Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender as defined in paragraph 3, or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court; Enforced disappearance of persons; The crime of apartheid; Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.”

To learn more about crimes against humanity and similar transgressions, please see our educational resource on mass atrocity crimes.

Why does the world need a treaty on crimes against humanity?

Crimes against humanity are prohibited under the Rome Statute and under customary international law; however, unlike for genocide and war crimes, no standalone treaty exists obligating states to prevent and punish crimes against humanity. This dangerous gap in international law fosters impunity and creates a false hierarchy between equally serious international crimes.

A crimes against humanity treaty will not only help fill this gap, but creates an opportunity to incorporate decades of progress made towards addressing international crimes since the drafting of the Rome Statute, including sexual and gender-based violence, persecution, enforced disappearances, and environmental crimes.

Codifying these crimes will not stop them from occurring, but clear international and domestic legal rules are an important first step to holding perpetrators accountable. The existence of these laws signals to potential perpetrators that they will face justice if they commit these crimes, which can contribute to deterring their commission over time. A treaty can also codify the rights of victims and require states to engage with them to achieve justice. This is an important step in the right direction.

We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the civil war and mass atrocity crimes spread and needs skyrocket. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

$1,000 - Fully funds one classroom at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp for half a semester.

$500 - Delivers food to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled to South Sudan.

$250 - Provides a daily breakfast to 10 children for an entire month in Adré refugee camp, where many Darfuri genocide survivors now live.

$100 - Supports the monthly work of a sexual assault counselor in Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, Sudan.

$50 - Helps repair classrooms in Yida damaged by seasonal rains and provide for general maintenance.

Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock | Give Crypto

Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.

Famine is descending on Sudan. When will the world notice?

Editor’s Note: This update includes disturbing language and may not be appropriate for children 7th grade and below. Our Sudan Crisis Guide may be more suitable. To take action, please scroll down to the bottom of the page. Thank you.

It was early May of 2023. War had broken out a few weeks earlier in the West Darfur capital of El-Geneina and Halima hadn’t left her home since. She could hear gunfire and bombings around the clock.

Halima belongs to the Masalit ethnic group, one of Darfur’s historic African tribes. Her black skin was now a death warrant. Arab snipers were fanning out across the city. Roving bands of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries and their Arab militia allies were hunting for Masalit to murder and setting up checkpoints. As shells began falling on her brother’s neighborhood, Halima’s husband went to try to get their family to safety.

The next day she received word her husband had been caught by Arab militiamen and executed. He was unarmed and had been trying to move her family to a neighborhood that a self-armed Masalit militia was barely holding out in.

Halima had no time to grieve because she was now faced with an impossible decision: stay in Darfur and be murdered by the advancing RSF, or try to flee through the killing and hope she’d make it. An Arab friend managed to smuggle Halima and several others out of El-Geneina. She saw the bodies of her people rotting in the streets along the way. Several days later, Halima was walking out of the country she had always called home, unsure if she would ever return.

“He was everything,” Halima said of her husband. “We knew each other since we were children. The men with guns took everything from me. Now we are here. Now we are hungry. When does this end?”

The largest crisis in the world is about to get much worse

Halima is just one of millions of Sudanese who cannot grieve because she is struggling to survive.

Eleven months of catastrophic civil war between the army and RSF has generated the highest rate of forced displacement in the world, with more than 10 million Sudanese having fled to other parts of the country or left altogether. An estimated 20 million children can no longer attend school. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —roughly half the population— are in need of humanitarian aid. Healthcare is non-existent in many areas. Communication networks continue collapsing inside the country, hampering the world’s ability to get information out and relief in.

What information does get out is horrifying. Grisly images of RSF paramilitaries executing army soldiers and unarmed black Sudanese. Army soldiers holding up severed heads of RSF fighters and jeering into the camera. Mass graves. Bodies rotting in destroyed neighborhoods. Many of the combatants in this war boldly claim they are fighting for Sudan’s future. In reality, their hatred and immorality are pushing Sudan into becoming a failed state.

Few seem to have noticed this unfolding disaster. And it’s about to get much, much worse. Be it inside Sudan’s borders or in the growing refugee camps, food is becoming scarcer by the day. Nearly 18 million Sudanese are already facing emergency levels of hunger. And emergency is now turning into famine.

Photo: Map from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) showing how quickly Sudan is descending into famine.

It is important to understand that expanding hunger in Sudan is not a mere side effect of the war. The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of Sudan’s senior generals and commanders.

The RSF has systematically looted aid warehouses, fuel stations, markets, banks, and homes virtually everywhere they have a foothold. The army —nominally viewed as Sudan’s governing authority to the outside world— is restricting humanitarian relief to areas under RSF control and trying to shut down local initiatives to bring food to people in need. Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) —a long-corrupt agency supposedly tasked with getting outside relief into the country— is at this point likely little more than a front for army intelligence and stands accused of redirecting aid supplies to their own soldiers.

Both sides have destroyed communication infrastructure and curtailed internet access, further disrupting already besieged humanitarian networks and preventing mobile banking and remittances from Sudanese abroad. Preventable disease outbreaks such as cholera are compounding childhood acute malnutrition and, with 70% of Sudan’s already fragile healthcare system destroyed or closed, there is little local ability to prevent further outbreaks. As if all this weren't bad enough, many people have not been able to farm after being displaced or because it is simply too dangerous to do so.

These actions by the army and RSF have created a perfect storm that is morphing Sudan’s hunger crisis into a famine. Anecdotal accounts of starvation that began several weeks ago in areas classified as Emergency (see map above) are now being experienced widely enough to notice a pattern. For example, in Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, a child is dying roughly every two hours.

The threat of famine is no longer a threat. The famine is arriving right now.

Briefly defining terms

Virtually every corner of Sudan is experiencing a food crisis. Most of the areas hit hardest by the war and the RSF’s ethnic killing campaigns are in a state of food emergency, with famine conditions already breaking out in some households and neighborhoods.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) defines these terms the following way:

1. Phase 3 - Crisis. Households either have food consumption gaps that are reflected by high or above-usual acute malnutrition; OR are marginally able to meet minimum food needs, but only by depleting essential livelihood assets or through crisis-coping strategies. 

2. Phase 4 - Emergency. Households either have large food consumption gaps which are reflected in very high acute malnutrition and excess mortality OR are able to mitigate large food consumption gaps, but only by employing emergency livelihood strategies and asset liquidation.

3. Phase 5 - Famine. Households have an extreme lack of food and/or other basic needs even after full employment of coping strategies. Starvation, death, destitution, and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels are evident. (For Famine Classification, area needs to have extreme critical levels of acute malnutrition and mortality.)

Photo: IPC Phase 5 is referred to as “Catastrophe” when classifying a household and “Famine” when classifying an area. In certain cases, areas may be classified in “Famine Likely” which indicates the same level of severity as “Famine” but means that the analysis was based on less available evidence than one that results in a “Famine” classification. (FEWS NET)

What does this mean for the rest of 2024?

Setting the technical jargon aside, time is rapidly running out to reverse the hunger crisis unfolding in Sudan and prevent swaths of the population from descending into famine. The U.N estimates roughly 730,000 children are already in need of life-saving treatment for acute malnourishment. Projections state that this already horrifying number will skyrocket to 3.7 million by year’s end. Children, then, will bear the brunt of the death toll if something does not change soon.

Even if hunger levels remain where they are now, hunger and malnutrition-related deaths will likely reach into the high tens of thousands by the end of the year, if not higher. Preventing this crisis from worsening is no longer enough; it must be reversed.

Army generals and RSF commanders have shown no interest in deescalating their senseless war and opening up humanitarian pathways to those most in need. Indeed, by intentionally preventing people from accessing food and denying humanitarian access, both sides are stacking starvation crimes on top of the mass war crimes they are committing. Sudan’s military elite may be driving this crisis, but the international community’s refusal to hold them accountable and find more creative, untraditional ways of getting aid into the country is compounding the damage.

Like many Sudanese, Halima sees clearly what is happening. “If your rules make you work with criminals then your rules don’t work,” she says. “We cannot wait for permission to eat from the people who wish us dead. We are Sudan. We are hungry. When will the world work with us instead of these criminals?”

We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the war spreads and needs skyrocket. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

$1,000 - Fully funds one classroom at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp for half a semester.

$500 - Delivers food to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled to South Sudan.

$250 - Provides a daily breakfast to 10 children for an entire month in Adré refugee camp, where many Darfuri genocide survivors now live.

$100 - Supports the monthly work of a sexual assault counselor in Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, Sudan.

$50 - Helps repair classrooms in Yida damaged by seasonal rains and provide for general maintenance.

Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock | Give Crypto

Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.

Shareables

Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.

• Share Our Posts: Instagram Stories | Threads | Facebook | LinkedIn

• Be it inside Sudan’s borders or in the growing refugee camps, food is becoming scarcer by the day. Nearly 18 million Sudanese are already facing emergency levels of hunger. And emergency is now turning into famine. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/famine-is-descending-on-sudan

• It is important to understand that expanding hunger in Sudan is not a mere side effect of the war. The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of Sudan’s senior generals and commanders. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/famine-is-descending-on-sudan

• Virtually every corner of Sudan is experiencing a food crisis. Most areas hit hardest by the war and the RSF’s ethnic killing campaigns are in a state of food emergency, with famine conditions already breaking out in some households and neighborhoods. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/famine-is-descending-on-sudan

• Time is rapidly running out to reverse the hunger crisis unfolding in Sudan and prevent swaths of the population from descending into famine. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/famine-is-descending-on-sudan

• Even if hunger levels remain where they are now, hunger and malnutrition-related deaths in Sudan will likely reach into the high tens of thousands by the end of the year, if not higher. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/famine-is-descending-on-sudan

United States announces Special Envoy for Sudan

The U.S. State Department has appointed former diplomat and Congressman Tom Perriello as Special Envoy for Sudan. Special Envoys are personal representatives appointed by the president or the secretary of state, often to deal with a crisis in a specific region or play a key leadership role on complex, multilateral issues.

Perriello’s appointment comes as U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey exits his post. It appears the United States will leave that position unfilled for now. The American embassy in Khartoum remains shuttered due to the ongoing civil war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

From Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s announcement:

Wait, what’s happening in Sudan?

One of the worst armed conflicts and the largest humanitarian catastrophe in the world.

SEE OUR GUIDE ➡

Special Envoy Perriello will work to empower Sudanese civilian leaders and drive our engagement with partners in Africa, the Middle East, and the international community to forge a united approach to stop this senseless conflict, prevent further atrocities, and promote accountability for crimes already committed.

He re-joins the Department having previously served as the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes and the Democratic Republic of Congo and as the Special Representative for the second Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. He also represented Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District. Special Envoy Perriello’s extensive experience with peace, security and transitional justice issues on the African continent and other parts of the world have established him as a leader in this critical work. As he takes on this important role, he’ll draw on his over two decades of experience working across the executive branch, the legislative branch, multilateral institutions, and NGOs.

U.S. Special Envoys are the norm for Sudan

The Biden Administration appointing a Special Envoy is more or less a return to normalcy for how the United States has approached Sudan. Previous administrations over the past three decades often leaned on a Special Envoy to spearhead diplomacy. Ambassador Godfrey was the first U.S. Ambassador to Sudan in 25 years, making his posting a diplomatic anomaly.

Now, 18 months since he first walked into the U.S. embassy in Khartoum, Sudan is careening toward complete collapse as generals battle for control of a citizenry that does not want military rule. This is no fault of Ambassador Godfrey. As we noted at the time of his appointment, the prospect of war was already looming when he entered the job. Sudan was not a top priority of the U.S. government at the time either. It took nearly six months for the U.S. Senate just to confirm Godfrey as the U.S. ambassador to Sudan.

As the civil war in Sudan has spiraled over the past ten months, the silence of senior U.S. government officials and the chaotic international diplomacy to stem the killing has been truly mind-boggling. Multiple, unorganized rounds of peace talks led by various countries and organizations have failed to secure a ceasefire or improve humanitarian aid access. The current crisis requires a much more coherent international response, but the U.S. has largely failed to play its traditional role of coordinating and overseeing global efforts to silence the guns.

A challenging environment

The appointment of Tom Perriello to Special Envoy will hopefully bring some order to the chaos of the international response, but this move is no silver bullet. He comes into his role facing difficult political realities both at home and abroad.

If President Biden loses his reelection bid later this year, the Special Envoy position will likely disappear altogether as Perriello is a political appointee. Sadly, there are no signs that a potential Trump Administration will take a passing interest in Sudan. Congressional Republicans also aren’t thrilled with how the Biden Administration went about appointing a Special Envoy. Their primary concern, that this appointment is temporary in nature, has real merit considering the fractious state of U.S. politics.

But the most urgent need Perriello must address is consolidating American resources in fending off the numerous threats unfolding against the Sudanese people, including famine. The U.S. government has considerable regional resources it can bring to bear; however, with no embassy staff in country and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Sudan team currently operating out of Kenya, the structure of American power with regards to Sudan has been weakened.

This problem of drifting into being spread thin can be overcome, especially if the Special Envoy works closely with USAID Administrator Samantha Power, who has often been the lone senior U.S. official sounding the alarm about the tragedy unfolding in Sudan.

Since Special Envoy Perriello will be unable to cultivate relationships with ordinary Sudanese in the war zones, it would be wise for him to visit refugee and survivor communities. If peace and democracy can still be achieved in Sudan, listening to the extraordinary stories and concerns of ordinary Sudanese is the only place to begin.

See Ambassador Power’s remarks beginning at 4:41.

And this, of course, really is just the beginning. American policy toward Sudan is stuck in neutral and has too broad an emphasis. The dark shadows of famine and new frontlines creep deeper into the country by the hour. It’s past time for American policy to get proactive and very practical. Choking off the flow of weapons into Sudan can help. Delivering even limited aid where it can be delivered isn’t nothing, and finding creative ways to pressure and punish those who are putting up roadblocks is necessary.

Special Envoy Perriello can push U.S. policy into a more energetic stance that saves lives and shows the Sudanese they are not alone. Only time will tell if he can see through a needed course correction. For his part, the Special Envoy seems eager to get to work.

The crisis unfolding in Sudan is now the most dangerous and destructive humanitarian catastrophe in the world. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —roughly half the country— are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Over 9 million Sudanese have been internally-displaced and over 1.5 million more have fled Sudan altogether. And nearly 20 million children can no longer attend school.

Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the war spreads and needs skyrocket. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

$1,000 - Fully funds one classroom at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp for half a semester.

$500 - Delivers food to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled to South Sudan.

$250 - Provides a daily breakfast to 10 children for an entire month in Adré refugee camp, where many Darfuri genocide survivors now live.

$100 - Supports the monthly work of a sexual assault counselor in Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, Sudan.

$50 - Helps repair classrooms in Yida damaged by seasonal rains and provide for general maintenance.

Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock or Crypto

Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.

Shareables

Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.

• Share Our Posts: Instagram Stories | Threads | Facebook | LinkedIn

• The U.S. State Department has appointed former diplomat and Congressman Tom Perriello to the position of Special Envoy for Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-announces-special-envoy-for-sudan

• Sudan is careening toward complete collapse as generals battle for control of a citizenry that does not want military rule. A new Special Envoy may be able to help. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-announces-special-envoy-for-sudan

• The appointment of Tom Perriello to Special Envoy will hopefully bring some order to the chaos of the international response, but this move is no silver bullet. He comes into his role facing difficult political realities both at home and abroad. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-announces-special-envoy-for-sudan

Specter of ethnic killing looms in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains

Editor’s Note: We believe that it is important to bear witness to the atrocities underway in Sudan. This update includes disturbing language. If you are unable to read it out of concern for your mental health, we encourage you to read our Sudan Crisis Guide here instead. Thank you.

After ten months of brutal warfare in Sudan, the weight of armed conflict and ethnic mass killing are bearing down more heavily on frontline areas of the southern Nuba Mountains, one of the least known regions of the country.

Sudan has been in a state of extreme civil war since April 2023, when the military regime fractured into two groups fighting for control. The economy and over 70% of the country’s healthcare system has collapsed. Famine is a growing threat. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —roughly half the country— are already in need of some form of humanitarian aid. Sudan is now the largest humanitarian catastrophe on the planet.

The situation in the Nuba Mountains has its own local complexities. Before we get to recent events here, we want to offer some background on the area.

About Nuba

The Nuba Mountains are in South Kordofan state in southern Sudan. This is where our primary Sudanese partners work.

Several dozen African tribal groups living here can trace their beautiful history here back more than 2,000 years. Roughly 1.3 million Christian, Muslim, and traditionalist Nuba people live in harmony.

The Nuba have survived two genocidal wars over the last thirty years by the military regime in Khartoum. Today, the mountains are functionally autonomous underneath an indigenous Nuba armed resistance force.

Learn more about the history of the Nuba people here.

Map: Location of Nuba Mountains. (Operation Broken Silence)

Who is fighting?

There are three groups of armed actors in the Nuba region:

• Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) - Nuba armed resistance force of African ethnicity controlling much of the mountains.

• Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) - Sudan’s official military that includes the army, air force, and navy and militia allies.

• Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - a regional Arab paramilitary outfit created in Darfur by a previous national regime and militia allies.

The main combatants in Sudan’s civil war (SAF and RSF) used to be allies and have fought together against the Nuba people in the past. The SPLM-N has remained neutral in the war.

Learn more in our Sudan Crisis Guide.

Photo: Nuba SPLM-N soldiers on patrol near the southern frontlines of the mountains. (Operation Broken Silence)

Becoming a safe haven against the rising RSF threat

When SAF and RSF ended their alliance and went to war with each other in April 2023, the Nuba Mountains became one of the few safe areas of the country. The Nuba SPLM-N have remained neutral in the SAF-RSF war after having fought off both forces repeatedly in the 2010s. Local Nuba officials estimate that over 900,000 Sudanese have fled into the mountains over the last 10 months, putting significant humanitarian strains on the region.

Most areas of the Nuba Mountains remain calm today, but there are worrying signs this could change in the near future.

Fighting erupted between SAF and the Nuba SPLM-N in June 2023. Combat was sporadic and limited to the west and northwest. SAF controls the state capital of Kadugli and some of Dilling further north. The Nuba SPLM-N controls much of the road in between the two cities and has a strong presence near Kadugli and in some of Dilling’s neighborhoods.

Since December, fighting between the two groups has reduced significantly as the RSF’s presence grows to the west and north. The RSF controls Dibebad in the far-northwest and has overrun a string of other smaller SAF outposts in the north.

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Reported frontlines as of February 2024. Click or tap to zoom. (Operation Broken Silence)

A sizable portion of the RSF fighting force adheres to an extremely racist, Arab-supremacist ideology, which states that Darfur’s historic African tribal groups must be cleansed from the region and all other Sudanese Arabs are inferior. This ideology has spread with the RSF into other parts of Sudan throughout the war, leading to RSF fighters executing SAF prisoners of war and civilians, raping and pillaging, and robbing countless more people they deem inferior.

Dilling is home to Arab and African Nuba tribes. There is deep concern that if the predominantly Arab RSF seizes Dilling, they will perpetrate a large-scale ethnic massacre of the African Nuba, similar to massacres they have committed in Darfur. The RSF has tried to arm some citizens in the city who fear SAF, leading one resident to describe the RSF as trying to “start a race war.” SAF has also armed militias in Dilling in response.

In early January, a large RSF force moving south from Dibebad attacked Dilling. Eyewitnesses report that Nuba SPLM-N reinforcements promptly entered the city and, together with SAF and small numbers of local militia, pushed the RSF out after intense fighting. Thousands of Dilling’s citizens were displaced, but a large-scale ethnic massacre was likely narrowly avoided. RSF commander Hussein Barshom —whose men have been seen committing war crimes elsewhere in Sudan— was spotted in Dilling during the incursion.

It is unclear if the Nuba and SAF have some sort of agreement, but the reduced fighting between the two sides and their joint counteroffensive against the RSF in Dilling shows just how much their commanders fear the RSF expanding further into the area.

Where the RSF goes, ethnic killing follows

Events over the past several weeks in and around Dilling show that further RSF expansion into the Nuba region will be disastrous for human life. The growing RSF shadow is raising ethnic tensions in the region.

Shortly after the RSF attacked another SAF garrison in early January, a rumor spread through SAF ranks in Dilling that some army soldiers had “enabled” the RSF to gain ground. A rash of extreme violence broke out that included brutality between SAF officers and soldiers. Some of SAF’s 54th Infantry Brigade split along ethnic lines —SAF is a fairly diverse fighting force, although racism exists in its ranks— and engaged in killing, torture, and mutilation of dead bodies. A SAF soldier accused of being a traitor suffered what was described by an eyewitness as a “crucifixion,” with his throat being slit and his body strung up upside down.

Photo: Children living in Yida Refugee Camp, just south of the Nuba Mountains. (Operation Broken Silence)

These events occurred only a few days before the RSF attacked Dilling. Following the RSF retreat a few days later, two more dead bodies were found hanging in the same area. Eyewitnesses reported that the corpses were janjaweed, a pejorative term associated with the RSF. Who displayed the bodies in such a gruesome way is unknown, but it seems to be a warning to the RSF to stay out of Dilling, or else.

Based on the RSF atrocities we have seen in Darfur and rising tensions in the Nuba Mountains, it is evident that any larger conflict involving the RSF in the Nuba region would be catastrophic for the local population. Where the RSF goes, ethnic killing follows.

RSF command-and-control issues and racism may spark a wider conflict

Small-scale RSF attacks have expanded to other SAF garrisons around the Nuba Mountains throughout 2024, a sign that the RSF’s reach is growing in the area. RSF fighters are now pushing up against territory under control of the SPLM-N and the Nuba people who the RSF have a history of persecuting.

Some direct fighting between the RSF and Nuba SPLM-N has already taken place. The town of Habila —east of Dilling— and the army garrison stationed there was overrun by the RSF in early January, forcing roughly 15,000 people to flee into Nuba SPLM-N territory. The Nuba SPLM-N responded on February 9 by driving the RSF out of the town and securing some of the surrounding areas. Many people have chosen not to return home for now as they fear the RSF could strike again. Armed Arab and Nuba tribesmen are now fighting near Habila, risking further escalation between the Nuba SPLM-N and RSF if one group decides to enter the fray.

It does appear that neither SAF nor RSF brass want to fight a full-scale war with the Nuba SPLM-N, at least right now. Picking a fight with the most powerful and well-trained rebel force in Sudan on their home turf would be a strategically dumb move considering how stretched both forces are across multiple frontline areas in the country. The Nuba SPLM-N has been aggressive in defending their own borders and people, including seizing limited amounts of new territory to widen buffer zones, but has also shown little interest in joining the civil war outright.

Photo: The southern foothills of the Nuba Mountains during the rainy season. The rocky terrain gives a natural defensive advantage to the Nuba SPLM-N. (Operation Broken Silence)

Still, this should provide no comfort. Both SAF and RSF have command-and-control issues, especially when it comes to more rural areas where telecommunications are minimal or absent. As the RSF is largely on the offensive in the region, their command-and-control challenges are the most alarming. All it takes is a few too many accidental RSF incursions into Nuba SPLM-N territory —or RSF troops giving into their ethnic killing proclivities— to force the Nuba SPLM-N into a broader war with the RSF.

Preparing for a larger crisis

As the RSF shadow over frontline areas of the Nuba Mountains spreads, both SAF and the Nuba SPLM-N appear to be preparing for a larger confrontation with the RSF.

SAF is responding by beefing up its presence in the state capital of Kadugli, which will likely become a primary target for the RSF as their presence grows in the region. The 14th Division headquarters there recently received fresh reinforcements and supplies, but their hold on the city still seems less than sure. There is chatter that SAF is going to try to reopen the highway between Kadugli and Dilling, which is nominally under control of the Nuba SPLM-N. Considering the growing RSF threat and the SAF command-and-control issues seen in Dilling, it is unclear if SAF is in a position to try to take this critical road.

Meanwhile, Nuba SPLM-N commanders are keeping wary eyes on their increasingly frayed borders. A large number of Nuba forces have been forward-deployed since the war began 10 months ago. Besides ongoing minor adjustments at the local level, the Nuba SPLM-N seems largely prepared to fight against the RSF at a larger scale if it comes to that. The indigenous force is much more cohesive and restrained than SAF and the RSF are, which is perhaps one of the main reasons why a larger conflict hasn’t sparked yet.

At this point it also seems unlikely the Nuba SPLM-N will sit back and allow the RSF to take Dilling or Kadugli if SAF falls in either city. Both are home to sizable populations of ethnic Nuba who would almost certainly be massacred by an invading RSF force.

Whatever the future brings, the threat of RSF atrocities being unleashed on the Nuba people is real and urgent. At the time of this posting, RSF paramilitaries are rampaging in Kartala near Habila —the town recently liberated by the Nuba SPLM-N— and Jebel El Dayir. Survivors fleeing into nearby areas held by the Nuba SPLM-N report more than 60 people have already been killed and that over a dozen villages have been burned to the ground.

The blaring sirens of genocide being heard in Darfur are now being heard in the Nuba Mountains. We’ve seen this story before. We know how it ends. We must do what we can to help.

We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Our primary education partner is in the Nuba Mountains region and is struggling to meet the growing needs around them. Your generosity will help them bring education to those most in need.

$1,000: Support one teacher for an entire semester.

$750: Deliver three new chalkboards to classrooms.

$500: Provide additional materials and extra pay to teachers who are working with students to prepare them for national exams.

$250: Give pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 40 students in Yida Refugee Camp.

$100: Helps repair classrooms damaged by seasonal rains and provide for general maintenance.

$50: Give soccer balls and other sporting equipment to students.

Checks can be make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock or Crypto

Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.

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Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.

• Share To Instagram Stories | Repost on Threads | Share On Facebook | Repost On LinkedIn

• After ten months of brutal warfare in Sudan, the weight of armed conflict and ethnic mass killing are bearing down more heavily on frontline areas of the southern Nuba Mountains, one of the least known regions of the country. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/specter-of-ethnic-killing-looms-in-nuba-mountains

• Events over the past several weeks in and around Dilling show that further RSF expansion into the Nuba Mountains region will be disastrous for human life. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/specter-of-ethnic-killing-looms-in-nuba-mountains

• When SAF and RSF ended their alliance and went to war with each other in April 2023, the Nuba Mountains became one of the few safe areas of the country. This could change in the near future. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/specter-of-ethnic-killing-looms-in-nuba-mountains

• The blaring sirens of genocide being heard in Darfur are now being heard in the Nuba Mountains. We’ve seen this story before. We know how it ends. We must do what we can to help. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/specter-of-ethnic-killing-looms-in-nuba-mountains

U.S. Senate resolution recognizing genocide in Sudan

A bipartisan resolution is being introduced in the United States Senate that recognizes targeted violence committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militia against non-Arab ethnic communities in Darfur as acts of genocide.

Genocide is an internationally-recognized crime where acts are committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Confirming in a court of law that the crime of genocide has been committed requires meeting a very high legal threshold. In the case of Sudan, there is mounting evidence that RSF crimes in Darfur may meet this threshold and the resolution reflects that. We have posted the full text below. A summary of some key points can be found as well.

Resolution Summary

Senate Resolution 559 is titled A resolution recognizing the actions of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militia in the Darfur region of Sudan against non-Arab ethnic communities as acts of genocide. Actions on the resolution can be tracked here.

Congressional resolutions are statements about policy. While they do not have the force of law, they are still important. Resolutions can put pressure on the Biden Administration to adjust policy and raise awareness in the American public and global community.

This resolution gives an overview of crimes committed by the RSF within the context of the legal definition of genocide. From pages 5-6:

Whereas there is significant evidence of widespread, systematic actions against the non-Arab ethnic communities of Darfur, including the Masalit people, committed by the RSF and allied militia that meet one or more of the criteria under Article Il of the Genocide Convention, including-

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(1) killing members of the non-Arab ethnic communities in Darfur in mass killings of civilians, including summary executions in the streets and shootings of civilians fleeing across the Wadi Kaja river and to the Chad border, targeted killings of men and boys, targeted killings of Masalit leaders, and burials in mass graves;

(2) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of such communities, including through extrajudicial detention, torture and beatings, extortion, sexual and gender-based violence, mass rape, sexual slavery, and forced displacement; and

(3) deliberately inflicting on such communities conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in whole or in part, including the annihilation of villages, targeted attacks on marketplaces and schools; widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and telecommunication, the looting of homes and hospitals, assaults on camps for displaced persons, the destruction of humanitarian facilities, the killing of aid workers, and restrictions on humanitarian aid and access…

The resolution goes on to condemn atrocities committed by the RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces and calls for an immediate end to the war. It then urges the Biden Administration to take the following actions:

1. Step up international efforts to save lives by establishing civilian safe zones and humanitarian corridors.

2. Enforce the United Nation’s arms embargo on Darfur.

3. Broker a comprehensive ceasefire and disarmament of the warring parties.

4. Support efforts to document atrocities and genocidal acts and publicly release information to the greatest possible extent.

5. Identify mechanisms to fund community-based humanitarian efforts.

6. Regularly review and update the atrocities determination in Sudan.

7. Support tribunals and international criminal investigations to hold the RSF and their allied militias accountable.

8. Requests the Atrocity Prevention Task Force review its efforts to prevent, analyze, and respond to atrocities in Sudan.

Left to right: Senators Ben Cardin, Jim Risch, Cory Booker, and Tim Scott. (Official photos provided by Senate offices)

Cosponsor Statements

This bipartisan resolution is cosponsored by:

Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He says “The RSF and allied forces, under the leadership of Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, have committed heinous atrocities in Darfur, including those the Secretary of State has called crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing — some of which bear the hallmarks of genocide. This tragic repeat of history must not go unpunished. Hemedti and those who support his forces must be held accountable. I urge African leaders to act swiftly at this week’s African Union Summit to condemn these crimes and to come to an agreement on establishing a means to protect civilians from further atrocities. I continue to call on the Biden Administration to name a High Level Special Envoy to lead U.S. efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and to find a diplomatic solution going forward. The world must wake up to what is happening in Sudan, and work together urgently to put an end to this tragedy.” 

Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He says, “For the last 10 months, the RSF have carried out unspeakable horrors in Sudan, including the elimination of non-Arab peoples in Darfur. Twenty years ago, the U.S. Congress was the first body to recognize the genocide in Darfur committed by the government of Sudan and its proxy Janjaweed militia. Tragically, history repeats itself and now we must do the same. The United States must do all it can to bring an end to the conflict in Sudan and the genocide in Darfur. This includes holding the belligerents accountable and supporting the needs of the Sudanese people and their efforts to lead their country.” 

Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa. He says, “The conditions that enabled genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region nearly 20 years ago were never fully resolved, and the unfathomable horrors that have recently been committed there by the RSF and its allied militias against the Masalit and other ethnic minorities require us to speak out, demand justice and accountability for victims, and begin working towards a sustainable peace that ensures Sudanese civilians are at the center of any reconciliation process. The United States must engage at the highest levels to end the war, prevent further atrocities and suffering, and demand greater respect for human rights and unfettered humanitarian access.”

Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa. He says, “Civilians in Darfur are being raped and murdered in ruthless, ethnically targeted attacks by the RSF, and the Biden administration shamefully refuses to call these atrocities against an African minority what they are – genocide. We must stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves and shine a light on these horrific acts of terror.” 

The crisis unfolding in Sudan is the most dangerous and destructive humanitarian catastrophe in the world. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —roughly half the country— are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. 9 million people have been internally-displaced and nearly 1.5 million more have fled the country.

Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the war spreads and program costs skyrocket. Your generosity will help them bring lifesaving relief to those who have fled Darfur.

$1,000 - Fully funds one classroom at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp for half a semester.

$500 - Delivers food to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled to South Sudan.

$250 - Provides a daily breakfast to 10 children for an entire month in Adré refugee camp, where many Darfuri genocide survivors now live.

$100 - Supports the monthly work of a sexual assault counselor in Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, Sudan.

$50 - Helps repair classrooms in Yida damaged by seasonal rains and provide for general maintenance.

Checks can be make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock or Crypto

Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.

Shareables

Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.

• Share To Instagram Stories | Repost on Threads | Share On Facebook | Repost On LinkedIn

• A bipartisan resolution in the United States Senate that describes targeted violence committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against non-Arab ethnic communities in Darfur, Sudan as acts of genocide. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/senate-resolution-introduced-recognizing-genocide-in-sudan

• "The RSF and allied forces, under the leadership of Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, have committed heinous atrocities in Darfur...some of which bear the hallmarks of genocide." - Senator Ben Cardin https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/senate-resolution-introduced-recognizing-genocide-in-sudan

• "The United States must do all it can to bring an end to the conflict in Sudan and the genocide in Darfur." - Senator Jim Risch https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/senate-resolution-introduced-recognizing-genocide-in-sudan

• "The United States must engage at the highest levels to end the war, prevent further atrocities and suffering, and demand greater respect for human rights and unfettered humanitarian access." - Senator Cory Booker https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/senate-resolution-introduced-recognizing-genocide-in-sudan

• “Civilians in Darfur are being raped and murdered in ruthless, ethnically targeted attacks by the RSF...We must stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves and shine a light on these horrific acts of terror.” - Senator Tim Scott https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/senate-resolution-introduced-recognizing-genocide-in-sudan

• Senate Resolution 559: A resolution recognizing the actions of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militia in the Darfur region of Sudan against non-Arab ethnic communities as acts of genocide. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/senate-resolution-introduced-recognizing-genocide-in-sudan