Sudan: No signs of ceasefire
Analysts say that ending the ongoing fighting in Sudan may require internationally supported peacekeeping forces. This assessment comes after several failed attempts to establish a ceasefire, facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Just two weeks ago, Hala Al-Karib was living in Khartoum, serving as the Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa. However, she and her colleagues were forced to relocate due to the horrors created by the ongoing war, including looting.
Al-Karib stated, I would like to say that 75% or more of Khartoums population has been looted. Our homes have been completely looted, our vehicles, personal belongings, papers, and documents have been destroyed and burned.
She also commented on the strategy of the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, saying, The presence on the ground in residential areas in Khartoum, El Fasher, Nyala, and El Geneina is the Rapid Support Forces strategy for waging war from within civilian dwellings. The Rapid Support Forces are an extension of the Janjaweed, used for over 20 years in Darfur, terrorizing villagers and completely destroying the infrastructure.
Al-Karib blamed the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, for enabling the expansion and development of the Rapid Support Forces. She lamented the lack of sufficient pressure from the international community on countries that could help end the war.
She stated, 75% of the causes of this war are outside Sudan. The United Arab Emirates and their significant support to the Rapid Support Forces, as well as Egypt and their position against any form of democratic governance in Sudan, continuously put them in a position that supports the Sudanese Armed Forces as potential rulers.
Dr. Edgar Githu, a lecturer at the United States International University and Strathmore University, shares a partially similar opinion. He said, The African Union and the world at large need to look at this situation and pressure Russia to withdraw the Wagner Group and remove them. Egypt is an easier entity to deal with, and the United States has significant influence with Egypt. Khalifa Haftar in Libya can also be asked to retreat, and the UAE can be asked to retreat.
Some of the mentioned countries have offered to mediate in the crisis and denied involvement in the war. Githu emphasized that the international community must engage directly, stating, They come into the battlefield with renewed strength, and at some point, the world has no choice but to have some external intervention, and for me, it would be a peacekeeping force that creates a humanitarian corridor to attempt to restore normalcy.
The recent Jeddah talks, facilitated by the United States and Saudi Arabia, have been suspended, and the latest offer by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to mediate in the crisis has halted because one of the generals stated that he does not want the Kenyan President to lead the group consisting of South Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
Source: Voice of America website
