Wishing peace for Sudan- millions displaced

[MushMonster]

Just putting this here, in case you any of you have not heard much about it, as it is remains almost unreported in UK media. There are millions of people displaced, blood chilling numbers. I have donated, via Unicef. Hoping that others will too. And hoping they get a final long lasting peace agreement.

My previous reply was deleted by MNHQ, so I'll just say it's a complete mystery why the suffering in the Sudan is largely ignored by the world while Gaza is on all the front pages.

The plight of Nigerian Christian's in Nigeria has been ignored as well.

www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/nigeria/

•	According to Open Doors research, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined.
•	Jihadist violence continues to escalate in Nigeria, and Christians are at particular risk from targeted attacks by Islamic militant groups including Fulani militants, Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province).
•	These attacks are shockingly brutal in nature – many believers are killed, particularly men, while women are often kidnapped and targeted for sexual violence. These militants also destroy homes, churches and livelihoods.
•	Kidnap for ransom is used regularly with the deliberate intention of destabilising Christian families and the church.
•	More than 16.2 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa, including high numbers from Nigeria, have been driven from their homes by violence and conflict. Millions now live in displacement camps.

The catastrophic situation in CAR - when did anyone last hear about that? www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violence-central-african-republic

We do have lots of conflicts in the world, sadly. All people suffering matter.
Maybe one day the world will come to the conclusion that everyone loses in a war.
Sudan has been much more spoken about this week. US has recognised genocide in this war and is applying sanctions. Here hoping it means something and the war gets to an end. Pronto.
I do have hopes for the Gaza ceasefire too.
And praying all other conflicts, including the war closest to us, Ukraine-Russia, end this year, shortly.
Enough of civilians suffering and dying. At the end, the only people who really profit from wars are the weapon suppliers and crazy usesless politicians, alongside short lived opportunists.

I had not heard of the CAR civil war either.
Neither that Islamism had reached Africa.!
I was in total ignorance, and that they are attacking and killing Christians. I had no idea.

It is heart-breaking to witness what is happening in Sudan.

Islamic extremism is a massive problem in North and West Africa. Do you not remember the kidnapping of the Chibok girls? They got some international publicity, but the trafficking of girls into sexual slavery continues with not much being done about it and many of the Chibok girls are still missing. Tragically, and disgracefully human rights abuses in Africa get very little attention.
www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violent-extremism-sahel

Why do you suppose that is?

Racism, basically.

I should have said that I was not aware it had reached as far as Nigeria.
I had heard about girls, really young being bought and sold, as sexual slaves. Of course, always ethnical minorities or otherwise vulnerable. That has been reported happening in Sudan too.
Sudan and neighboring countries are considered part of ME, in some instances. They are close enough to Syria, Afghanistan and so on, for some of the ISIs, Islamic State... fighters to get there, unfortunatelly. But I was not really thinking that it would extend much further.
Which kind of thinking is this? That one can buy and sell a child. In this day and age. And in Africa! Of all places! I really thought, because I am that naive, that slavery was abolished. On top of that, is the paedophilia. I have watched the testimony of a young woman, whose family was killed, she was taken and abused this way, 12 years old. Her owners did have wives too. She said that sometimes she wished to become one of the wives, so she at least would be treated better. She was advertised for sale on normal web/ phone ads. Like the ones we use for advertising cars for sale. It is unbelievable.
It is similar enough to what happened, and maybe is still going on, with the rape gangs here in UK.
There is something really wrong with the world. Like how do this barbaric people make it to power? Who is flipping supporting them by providing weapons and resources? Allowing them to advertise children for sale, just like that?
We need to shout out, I think. Because it is not their problem. It is all of us problem.

Regarding why Africa is forgotten about, I do think racism may have a weight on it. But I am more of the thought that we only really care about what has an effect on us, economically or otherwise politically. We only get news about Europe, US, Canada, China, India, ME because they do have an effect in our economy and so day to day lives.
South America, Africa and Indonesia have little finantial grab on us, plus almost zero political influence. But, still, when a massive crisis is going on, come on! It should be reported.

The sexual exploitation & paedolphilia is men (& money) all over the world. The majority of child rapists in this country are white but its a global trade & its often complicated by cultural factors. The reasons we care about some parts of the world & not others are hard to disentangle sometimes. But when you think of the horrors around the world it does show how disproportionate the focus on Israel & Palestine is in terms of media attention & 'cut through'. I think the lack of understanding of the rest of the world does however explain some of the naivety about this conflict.

Thank you. I agree it has been neglected.

Mushmonster wrote
Regarding why Africa is forgotten about, I do think racism may have a weight on it.
I'm not convinced that racism plays much part. I would concede that when inhumanities are happening to "people like us", then we are a little more concerned.
But I am more of the thought that we only really care about what has an effect on us, economically or otherwise politically.
You've hit the nail on the head. Unless it's going to affect our standard of living, we really don't want to know.
We only get news about Europe, US, Canada, China, India, ME because they do have an effect in our economy and so day to day lives.
Exactamente

There are other deeper layers as well. Usually someone, somewhere or other, benefits from the conflict. THE RSF in Sudan move a lot of gold from Sudan through to the UAE and I think the RSF help out Saudi Arabia and UAE in Yemen. Add to that the fact that Dubai is UAE and that Dubai invests a lot in UK. So if we start looking too closely, we'll see that some of our "business mates" are really quite unpleasant. And please don't let's mention Chinese human rights or the price of toasters and kettle will go up.

But honestly, who are we to intervene in what are effectively tribal, territorial disputes ? Just don't arm or encourage them and possibly offer mediation. Who knows?

Or try to run the world on co-operation rather than competition?

But honestly, who are we to intervene in what are effectively tribal, territorial disputes

Breathtaking, 19th century attitude to Africa there.

1 in 5 of the world's consumers will be in Africa in 25 years time. The value of UK exports to Nigeria alone is nearly double that of the value of exports to Israel.

So if its economic issues that affect who you care about, you need to start caring about Africa.

And none of this explains why there are more column inches and media minutes devoted to Israel Palestine than anywhere else, more UN resolutions, more street demonstrations, peritions in far away countries etc etc etc.

And Islamic State extending its influence in African countries us not a 'tribal dispute' ffs

It would be great to see governments around the world taking these conflicts more seriously and to see aid more evenly split between countries in need rather than the bulk of aid going to one or two countries and the rest getting a pittance in comparison. The scale of suffering in Sudan is unbelievable but politics seems to dictate where aid money goes rather than the level of death and suffering of the people on the ground. I'd love to see more compassionate leaders setting great examples rather than rich, power hungry men playing games.

I'd also love to see arms sales banned to be honest. Produce the weapons yourself if you must but making obscene amounts of money from death and destruction needs to get in the bin.

I'd also love to see arms sales banned to be honest. Produce the weapons yourself if you must but making obscene amounts of money from death and destruction needs to get in the bin.
@NoisyBear

Couldn't agree more. Arms dealing is obscene.
15 years ago I asked my Labour MP about whether we should be proud of living in a country that makes so much money from arms dealing and she told me to try saying that to the workers in Barrow.

Basically, it means jobs and money, so we go with it. Awful.

Security, jobs and money are the things people require of a government, in the real world.

Staggering response.
Of course racism plays a huge part.

How on earth is what is happening in Gaza affecting the standard of living of most of us?
It doesn't, but Sudan lacks the billions in funds Hamas has to churn out their propoganda and keep it relevant.

This is more than just black 'tribal' troubles we can't intervene in. That in itself is completely racist.

Sudan is probably the biggest humanitarian disaster we have known (not my words) and yet who knows what their flag looks like??

@SpunkyCritic it was very revealing of so many of the reasons why different African conflicts & human rights abuses are ignored.

but Sudan lacks the billions in funds Hamas has to churn out their propoganda and keep it relevant.

This is the key bit, above all, and where the other racist element comes in - the antisemitism of Hamas's backers.

@SharonEllis I do wonder how much unconscious bias there is going on, both with regard to Sudan and Gaza.
I find it difficult to explain otherwise.
Not many want to blatantly admit they are racist/Anti-semitic.

I thought this thread was about Sudan.

Yes, I think so. The usual line is about arms sales but British arms sales to Israel are tiny, & people are incurious about where else British arms end up, so the argument doesn't stack up at all!