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A top US Senator has called for the United States and other international partners to intervene and prevent further mass atrocities being carried out in Sudan’s North Darfur region.
Let’s bring you up to speed: In April of 2023, a civil war erupted in Sudan between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), triggered by a power struggle following the 2019 ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir. The conflict, rooted in disagreements over merging the RSF into the national army and controlling the country, quickly spiraled into widespread violence, forcing many to flee their homes and plunging the nation into a deep humanitarian crisis. Both sides have committed horrific acts, particularly in places like Darfur, where old ethnic tensions have led to the genocide of civilians.
What’s going on now: US Senator Ben Cardin, who chairs the foreign relations committee, has called for urgent international action to prevent mass atrocities. In a statement, Senator Cardin said, “The people of El Fasher, already devastated by bombings and shelling from the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), now face an imminent threat from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is massing troops for another brutal assault as part of their ongoing campaign of destruction across Sudan. Those living in famine-stricken Zam Zam camp are now also at dire risk of mass atrocities should the RSF launch this offensive. I urge the entire diplomatic community – bilateral, regional, and multilateral partners – to unequivocally demand that the RSF, the SAF, and their allied forces immediately stand down. The international community must be ready to deploy every diplomatic tool to prevent this attack – including the renewal of the current UN arms embargo on Darfur and its expansion to cover the entire country – and to pressure all parties to end their horrendous assaults on the Sudanese people and provide cross-border and cross-line access for humanitarian assistance.”
Peace talks?: The United States and Saudi Arabia have been pushing for peace talks between the SAF and the RSF to end the conflict, but these efforts keep stalling. Talks that began in Jeddah were suspended in June 2023 due to a lack of progress, and even the latest round in Geneva failed to bring any new agreements. The talks between both are stuck on deep divisions, especially over the RSF’s control of Khartoum. The SAF demands the RSF pull back to specific bases, while the RSF wants to set up checkpoints around the city. These unresolved issues and broken promises to de-escalate and allow humanitarian aid have left the peace process at a standstill.
The war’s impact: The ongoing conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has led to a devastating humanitarian crisis. Since the fighting began in April 2023, estimates indicate that between 15,000 – 150,000 people have been killed. The violence has forced more than 12 million people to flee their homes, with over 1 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries and the rest displaced within Sudan, worsening an already dire situation in the region.
