Why is the civil war in Sudan so under reported and rarely discussed?

[Oodiks]

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Wrong colour of skin.

The warring factions have clamped down on the freedom of both Sudanese and international news outlets. If you are a journalist in Sudan, you have a target on your back and your family may also come under attack. International journalists are denied entry into the country. Add to that the unreliability of electricity, internet and telecoms and reporting is almost impossible. Also, this is a complex conflict that doesn't lend itself to a simple narrative. There are no clear good guys or bad guys.

If there were no other more pressing conflicts, Sudan may get more coverage despite these issues. However, Gaza and Ukraine are both live conflicts (although hopefully Gaza is coming to an end) that are closer to home and easier to report and understand, so they take attention away from Sudan.

Because few in the UK could find Sudan on a map, or tell you anything about it, let alone explain what's happening and why.
There's a lot of conflict in the world, we don't hear about most of it.

It is very far away, twice as far away as Ukraine for instance.

It's horrific isn't it. I was so shocked when I heard about it on the radio over a year ago.

Sudan doesn't have any resources we want to exploit.

Race and no interest Britain needs to secure. See also what's happening in The Congo.

Everyone is exhausted and feeling impotent about doing anything after we’ve seen how western interference rarely helps long term.

There is little footage to help with putting a human face on the tragedy.

There is no money in it.

If it helps I think about Sudan very often and have commented on here about it. Doesn’t mean am helping more than anyone who couldn't find Sudan on a map though.

Realistically, what am I supposed to do about it? There are wars and horrendous suffering all over the world: a person could drown in tears for the pain of it all, but that wouldn't help the people directly affected. I help asylum seekers and refugees locally and listen to their stories but I'm not going to raise merry hell over every conflict around the world or I'd never have time to eat, drink and sleep.

Sudan? Where? Never mind that what’s the latest on the LA fires

DH reckons that wars like in Sudan aren't reported because there are few nice hotels for the reporters to stay in.

I actually wrote a big post on this a while back. I used to work in a communications role in a non profit and some things get pick up and some things don’t.

anyway I think a key reason here is lack of content basically. It’s hard for foreign journalists to access/travel and communicate , local journalists are basically silenced and communications networks are very poor generally with no internet or mobile services in some places.

there are loads of other reasons, like it’s very complicated, not a clear cut call to action for anyone and racism as well. But I don’t see a lack of content discussed anywhere and it’s so important when it comes to a crisis getting coverage.

I remember the indefatigable Lyse Doucet reporting for the BBC from Sudan a couple of months ago. She was there accompanying the UN’s new humanitarian chief. She wrote a really useful and affecting piece (I tried to link but couldn't)

So that really highlights previous posters' points about how difficult it is to report consistently on the civil war. There's occasional access to go round with a VIP but not a permanent presence. Hence why people aren't as aware of what's going on. Plus as others have said Sudan lacks the precious resources that outside powers would want to grab.

Unlike what's happening in the DRC where the Rwandan backed rebels are threatening to march all the way to the capital. That IS being reported on - Sky had an excellent piece on Wednesday from their Africa correspondent.

Cos they're black

First post nailed it

That woman in the bbc link appears to have twin boys around aged 2

I cannot imagine the horror

Is this the Lyse Doucet piece

Sudan civil war: Nowhere else on Earth are so many children on the run

Because it is their 650th war, most people couldn´t put Sudan on a map and no clear goodies or baddies.

Racism.

This is from Monday's edition of Woman's Hour. About 30 minutes in Nuala McGovern speaks to 2 filmmakers on a documentary about the civil war in Sudan. NM gets quite short with one of them from listening to it, and says they will continue to cover it when the woman tries to make her point.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002f8sz?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

Because it’s not Jewish people with the guns?

Because it doesn’t involve Jews. Sorry but true

Awful but I think its because of race and proximity.

The Sudanese dont look like us. To our brains they're a different 'tribe'. They live far away and most haven't visited Sudan and have no plans to.

We know with our higher processing this isn't right, we know they are as important as us. But we don't feel it. They are different to us. They live far away. Its not often on the news. We dont see much coverage of it. We can only empathize with so much at once.