Global community turning a blind eye to the risk of genocide in Sudan

The UN Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, has issued a stark warning about the growing risk of genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region. As the world’s attention is focused on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Nderitu highlighted the dire situation in El Fasher, where civilians are being targeted based on their ethnicity.

In the besieged city, more than 700 deaths have been reported in just 10 days by a medical charity. The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has escalated, with El Fasher being the last major urban center in Darfur under government control.

Nderitu compared the unfolding situation to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, emphasizing the urgent need for international attention and intervention. Human Rights Watch (HRW) also expressed concerns about ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity committed by the RSF and its allies in Darfur.

The conflict in Darfur stems from long-standing tensions over resources between non-Arab farming communities and Arab pastoralist communities. The violence has led to a climate of fear and death, with access to the city cut off by the internet blackout imposed by the RSF.

With thousands killed and millions displaced, the situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate, with calls for sanctions against those responsible for the atrocities. As the world grapples with other conflicts, the risk of genocide in Darfur cannot be ignored.