Alex de WaalAfrica analyst

Reuters

The millions who have fled Sudan’s conflict are desperate for it to end

Wracked by war for two-and-a-half years, Sudan lies in ruins. Half a dozen peace initiatives have failed, none of them able to pressure or persuade regional powerbrokers to push for a compromise.

Many Sudanese ask if the world cares whether they live or die.

Could that be about to change with direct intervention from the Oval Office?

By US President Donald Trump’s own admission, the conflict was not on his “charts to be involved in that. I thought it was just something that was crazy and out of control.”

But that was before a White House meeting 10 days ago with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. He briefed the president on what was happening and asked him to intervene.

Afterwards, Trump said: “We’re going to start working on Sudan.”

He later posted on social media that “tremendous atrocities are taking place in Sudan. It has become the most violent place on Earth” and pledged to work with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to end the violence.

In fact, the US had already been involved in negotiations, but perhaps Trump’s personal leverage with the leaders of those allies – all accused of backing one side or the other in Sudan – could make a difference.

With nearly 12 million driven from their homes and famine conditions continuing in parts of the country, the Sudanese are desperate for something – anything – that could break the deadlock.

Trump’s comments on the situation came just a few days after the civil war reached a new nadir of horror at the end of October.

Following a 500-day starvation siege, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the city of el-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in the westernmost region of Darfur.

Reuters

Mohammed bin Salman seems to have persuaded Donald Trump to get involved in efforts to bring peace to Sudan

The RSF fighters rampaged through the city, killing, raping and looting. Estimates for the numbers of people who perished in this ethnically targeted massacre range upwards from 5,000.

Mobile phone footage filmed by the killers themselves of them tormenting, torturing and killing victims – known as “trophy videos” – circulated on social media.

In the wake of the killing, the war leaders’ posturing followed a long-standing pattern.

After seizing el-Fasher, RSF head Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”, announced that he would be ready for a ceasefire. He wanted to polish a reputation stained by the mass killing.

But stung by their humiliation on the battlefield, Sudan’s generals were not ready to compromise.

Armed forces chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the UN-recognised government, rejected a ceasefire, promising to fight on.

Burhan – and especially
Read More

Alex de WaalAfrica analyst

Reuters

The millions who have fled Sudan’s conflict are desperate for it to end

Wracked by war for two-and-a-half years, Sudan lies in ruins. Half a dozen peace initiatives have failed, none of them able to pressure or persuade regional powerbrokers to push for a compromise.

Many Sudanese ask if the world cares whether they live or die.

Could that be about to change with direct intervention from the Oval Office?

By US President Donald Trump’s own admission, the conflict was not on his “charts to be involved in that. I thought it was just something that was crazy and out of control.”

But that was before a White House meeting 10 days ago with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. He briefed the president on what was happening and asked him to intervene.

Afterwards, Trump said: “We’re going to start working on Sudan.”

He later posted on social media that “tremendous atrocities are taking place in Sudan. It has become the most violent place on Earth” and pledged to work with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to end the violence.

In fact, the US had already been involved in negotiations, but perhaps Trump’s personal leverage with the leaders of those allies – all accused of backing one side or the other in Sudan – could make a difference.

With nearly 12 million driven from their homes and famine conditions continuing in parts of the country, the Sudanese are desperate for something – anything – that could break the deadlock.

Trump’s comments on the situation came just a few days after the civil war reached a new nadir of horror at the end of October.

Following a 500-day starvation siege, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the city of el-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in the westernmost region of Darfur.

Reuters

Mohammed bin Salman seems to have persuaded Donald Trump to get involved in efforts to bring peace to Sudan

The RSF fighters rampaged through the city, killing, raping and looting. Estimates for the numbers of people who perished in this ethnically targeted massacre range upwards from 5,000.

Mobile phone footage filmed by the killers themselves of them tormenting, torturing and killing victims – known as “trophy videos” – circulated on social media.

In the wake of the killing, the war leaders’ posturing followed a long-standing pattern.

After seizing el-Fasher, RSF head Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”, announced that he would be ready for a ceasefire. He wanted to polish a reputation stained by the mass killing.

But stung by their humiliation on the battlefield, Sudan’s generals were not ready to compromise.

Armed forces chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the UN-recognised government, rejected a ceasefire, promising to fight on.

Burhan – and especially
Read More