2nd Anniversary of the Sudanese Civil War

Today, April 15th, marks the second anniversary of the start of the Sudanese Civil War. Since the outbreak of violence 2 years ago between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, over 15 million people have been displaced from their homes, leaving them incredibly vulnerable to attack. 

Since April 15th, 2023, official tallies mark 200,000 people killed during the crisis. The Rapid Support Forces have been systemically attacking and murdering civilians via artillery shelling and looting villages, using rape and sexual violence against women as a tactic of war. The Sudanese Armed Forces have used bombing and warplanes to indiscriminately attack civilians in crowded areas, recently killing hundreds in the Tora Night Market and committing public, extrajudicial killings of civilians accused of conspiring with the RSF. Civilian targeting and murder have been normalized and exploited by all warring parties, causing irreparable damage to innocent Sudanese people.

Sudan is, heartbreakingly, the world’s most horrific humanitarian crisis, with the threat of violence constantly looming and accelerating. Over 25 million people (over half of Sudan’s overall population) are suffering from hunger according to the World Food Program, and famine is rapidly spreading. Refugee camps, namely the Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Hai El Salam camps, have already been overwhelmed by famine, and the upcoming flooding season will only worsen the situation.

These victims are not just numbers. Every one of these 200,000 people was a bright and talented individual with an infinite capacity to bring positive change into the world. We must remember that every person murdered in the conflict mattered, and their humanity must not be forgotten.

Unfortunately, the media has gone silent. Many Sudanese people are stuck in makeshift camps for refugees and internally displaced people after making the difficult decision to flee. People are scared to return home because their attackers have not faced accountability for their actions, and the anti-genocide movement has faded out of the public eye. We at Darfur Women Action Group will not stand for this and demand that we keep our eyes focused on Sudan.

We at the Darfur Women Action Group call on the United States of America, the United Nations Security Council, the African Union, and the broader international community to take the following actions to end the war and genocide in Sudan swiftly and permanently:

• Swiftly authorize and deploy civilian protection forces to protect the innocent Sudanese people, particularly in Darfur; 
• Impose  criminal and financial accountability for all individuals and states complicit in committing past and present genocide and war crimes in Sudan;
• Demand that the warring parties immediately cease all attacks and strictly adhere to a permanent, verifiable ceasefire;
• Authorize urgent and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid for all in need across Sudan;
• Press the warring parties to stop the torture, murder, rape, and starvation of civilians as a strategy of war;
• U.S., UNSC, and allies must hold the regional and international enablers supplying weapons to the warring parties in Sudan accountable; 
• The U.S. and allies must cease the selling of arms to the UAE and prevent genocide in Sudan.

We need your support in the fight against genocide. If we can get people to take action, we can show the world that we care. In the face of genocide, the world must not look the other way. We can make a difference. 

Thank you,
Niemat Ahmadi, Founder and President of DW
Darfur Women Action Group Team