UN relief chief in al-Geneina

[Scirocco]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpdnllz54q0o

The BBC reports on the first visit by a senior UN official since the war broke out.

It’s so horrifying, the janjaweed have a really appalling reputation for brutality and the SDF probably aren’t fussed how many they kill. There was a cholera outbreak recently, Sudan isn’t getting enough attention. Probably because it’s complicated but Sudanese people are suffering immensely.

@Scirocco

Thank you for highlighting the terrible atrocities being committed in Southern Sudan.

Sadly it seems as though nobody including the media seems to care much about the horrors being inflicted in Sudan.

It feels so devastating for the people there. It should never have taken so long for this visit to get organised. Hopefully it can mark a turning point for the people there. Organisations such as Islamic Relief continue to work hard in the country, but for peace and stability it will be essential for the international community to start caring more.

Ethnic cleansing

"It was RSF fighters, along with allied Arab militias, who ran amok in el-Geneina last year, mainly targeting residents from the non-Arab Masalit community in what human rights groups, including UN experts, have described as ethnic cleansing and possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch concluded it was a possible genocide"

Yes. This needs urgently investigated - genocidal acts, ethnic cleansing - it's terrible. Thousands of people murdered, sexual violence, mutilation, displacement...

There are so many conflicts going on and different news outlets choose which ones to focus on. It then sways the watching population. Hence, gaza gets focus and Sudan and Yeman are largely ignored. There is terrible suffering in all of these places. The middle east and parts of North Africa have massive problems. With refugees and asylum seekers it will affect Europe more and more.

I despair at what is happening in our world, what humans are doing to each other, it’s horrific 😢

I pray every night for God to intervene and stop it, but if anything it gets worse. The world can't carry on like this. I’m losing my faith

I'm here to talk if you need to.

🫂🫂🫂🫂

Thanks you for sharing @Scirocco it is too awful to even comprehend. I work with a Sudanese community organising a lot of fundraising efforts over the past year but it all feels so hopeless. This report should have been done a long time ago
His short but significant visit only became possible after extensive negotiations with Sudan’s two main rival forces – those headed by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), who heads the government recognised by the UN, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who are now in charge in most of Darfur.
This suggests it has been extremely difficult and dangerous to get access
hopefully now the spotlight can highlight what is happening and efforts made to help them.

Thank you @Scirocco

@Scirocco

"Thousands of people murdered, sexual violence, mutilation, displacement..."

And sold into slavery.

Horrifying.

When an actual genocide is being committed the world stands by.

Where are the marches? The social media outrage?

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/whats-behind-sudans-crisis-2023-04-17/

https://www.charitywatch.org/charity-donating-articles/crisis-in-sudan-charitywatch-top-rated-charities-providing-aid-assistance-in-sudan

Sadly, the world does have a tendency to look the other way when genocidal acts are taking place. People prefer to equivocate and minimise, rather than act before it's too late for even more people.

People are too busy defending genocide in Gaza maybe?

Or spending all their time trying to influence mumsnet.

It's almost a full time job for you @quantumbutterfly

Sounds like a personal attack - not in the spirit of Mumsnet surely.

Accusing someone of an attack for merely making a comment isn't in the "spirt" of Mumsnet now is it?

This has been said over and over again, our government is not supporting the Sudanese terror groups are they like how they support Israel? The marches are in protest of our government's complicity and turning a blind eye to the genocide.

@Whatsinanamehey

"This has been said over and over again, our government is not supporting the Sudanese terror groups are they like how they support Israel? The marches are in protest of our government's complicity and turning a blind eye to the genocide"

Sudan gets most of its weapons from Russia, Ukraine and China but the UK does export a small quantity of weapons to Sudan.

Equally Sudan's mainly agricultural exports are to UAE, China and Saudi but it is a net exporter to the UK.

As for turning a blind eye it seems that the UK as a whole and not just the protests are turning a blind eye to the genocide in Sudan.

Africa generally gets ignored. Periodic little bursts of attention but nothing like the attention that other parts of the world get. Most people would be hard pressed to even name African countries except tbe ones with high profile football teams.

I still don't understand this argument. We only care about people if our government sells them arms? What about the principles of the UN and various conventions. So the only people who can step in and stop a genocide are people selling arms? And if there is an arms embargo because of human rights abuses then tbe only people who have authority in the conflict are the people selling the arms being used in the genocide? Make it make sense.

We only care about people if our government sells them arms?

You asked a similar question on a thread yesterday.
Of course people care just the response is different because the UK government do not support the genocide in Sudan so people don't need to protest. Possibly people are happy with the UK government response to the crisis such as:
The new £113 million aid package, which doubles the UK’s aid commitment to Sudan and the region this year, will assist over 600,000 people in Sudan and 700,000 people in neighbouring countries who have fled the conflict, including Chad and South Sudan.

So the only people who can step in and stop a genocide are people selling arms?
Not sure where you picked up that idea. They are the very people who are indirectly supporting the genocide and if your government is selling arms to a country that is carrying out a genocide I can understand why people would be pretty exercised in protesting against that.

And if there is an arms embargo because of human rights abuses then tbe only people who have authority in the conflict are the people selling the arms being used in the genocide?
You'll have to explain that one to me. Surely an arms embargo is one of many options governments have.