War in Sudan: Seeking Vengeance and Continuation of Conflict in Media and on the Ground Instead of Pursuing Peace
Faisal Elbagir
There is much to be learned from the experience of Sinja in terms of advocacy and campaigns!
**First Point:**
*"Peace to a land created for peace... yet never saw peace for a day" - Mahmoud Darwish*
**1**
The writer of this article can confidently say: "What has been and is being documented regarding human rights violations in the catastrophic military war between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since it began on Saturday morning, April 15, 2023, in the heart of the countrys capital, Khartoum, and then spread to the states of Darfur, Kordofan, Gezira, and finally Sennar, with its capital Sinja, is only the tip of the iceberg of the violations and atrocities being committed against civilians and all civilian objects." All these violations are prohibited by international humanitarian law, which seeks to minimize the impacts of armed conflicts, imposes restrictions on the means and methods of warfare, and emphasizes respect for human dignity and the right to life and protection of civilians.
**2**
All facts on the ground confirm, day by day, that the main parties to the war - the Rapid Support Forces and the armed forces, along with their allied armed militias from the "Islamic Movement" organization, most notably the "Baraa bin Malik Battalion," the "Al-Qaqa Battalion," the "Solid Structure," and others, as well as the so-called "Special Task Forces" and the "Popular Resistance" and "interlopers" for ideological, regional, ethnic, or financial reasons - and the armed movements that have abandoned what they called "neutrality" to declare their "alignment" with the army, are all persisting in their war madness and continuing to expand the scope of the conflict with a spirit of oppression, vengeance, and retaliation instead of seeking peace. They continue their war madness, indifferent to all efforts made to stop the war and avoid the country the danger of (comprehensive) civil war, fragmentation, and division, or even total collapse, which is imminent unless this catastrophic war is stopped (today), not (tomorrow), before its too late!
**3**
Sudan has witnessed and continues to witness, as does the world, the most atrocious crimes of "attacks on civilians," "looting of property," "shelling of cities," and "destruction of civilian infrastructure," among other heinous violations and crimes classified globally as (war crimes), (crimes against humanity), and (genocide). If the civilized world, the international community, the UN Security Council, and the African Peace and Security Council allow this catastrophic nihilistic war to continue without taking decisions and measures capable of imposing a comprehensive arms embargo on all regions and states of Sudan, the world will undoubtedly witness atrocities far exceeding those that occurred during the Rwandan war (1990-1994).
**4**
The latest in the series of heinous violations occurred openly in the city of Sinja, the capital of Sennar State, which was entered by the RSF on the afternoon of Saturday, June 29, 2024. According to the testimonies of citizens fleeing the war in Sinja - seeing is believing - there was no army to protect the "protectorate," let alone fulfill its duty to defend or protect citizens from armed aggression. According to survivors testimonies, the army left Sinja exposed, allowing the RSF to wreak havoc, looting vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, homes, shops, stealing fixed and movable assets, womens jewelry, confiscating or seizing cash, and stripping residents of all their possessions, even mobile phones, and childrens toys. Additionally, they terrorized children, women, youth, the elderly, the sick, and people with disabilities, and forcibly displaced civilians from their homes and city towards the unknown.
**5**
In the face of this systematic violence and "Janjaweed" brutality, those who could flee from Sinja did so on foot, seeking safe havens in nearby towns and cities, beginning with Al-Dinder, which they were also forced to leave as it was no longer safe, hoping to find a temporary refuge in Gedaref or Damazin, which have also become unsafe due to threats from RSF leaders and field soldiers indicating these will be their next targets.
**6**
Meanwhile, the parallel media war continues between the parties and their allies - a propaganda war that remains raging in Arab satellite channels, electronic media owned by the warring parties or their supporters, and social media, promoting hate speech and discrimination.
**7**
This media war continues to "preach" false victories for one side or the other. Army leaders speak redundantly about "repelling aggression" and "teaching the militia a lesson they wont forget," while the RSF propaganda aims to reassure citizens that security, stability, and the provision of essential services will be guaranteed in areas under their control, a claim belied by the harsh realities on the ground.
**8**
It is crucial to "see" rather than just "hear" about the nature, scale, and type of violations occurring in areas overrun by the RSF. The narrative that "remnants" or "unknown entities" are responsible for looting after the RSF enters or leaves cities is untenable. According to basic principles of (international humanitarian law) or "law of war," parties to the conflict, especially the controlling side, are responsible for ensuring the safety and protection of civilians and civilian objects. Video clips clearly show RSF fighters expressing dissatisfaction with the looting that occurs during their incursions, indicating that their leadership must take responsibility for preventing these organized crimes instead of continuing their denials.
**9**
In contrast to this grim scenario, there is a bright example worth recounting about the people of Sinja. They did not stand idle in the face of the disaster but quickly moved from a state of "shock" to positive action. They organized strong and successful advocacy campaigns to provide material and moral support to deal with the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war in Sinja and Sennar State.
**10**
The "Sinja" advocacy campaign, under the slogan "Save Our People in Sinja" and the hashtag (#SaveSinja), involved forming committees to track and follow up on the displaced, announce missing persons, and search for those stranded in the city or during displacement, all done with high professionalism and quality.
**11**
Another innovative aspect of the "Sinja" experience was the attention to combating hate speech, misinformation, and false news by forming a committee to "monitor content" in all social media, promptly addressing rumors, misinformation, and ensuring media discipline. This positive action deserves attention and emulation in other states and cities facing the catastrophic wars challenges.
**Final Bell:**
*"Oh brave ones, oh many... how is the world? As vast as seas... but ultimately constrained. When we sit on the ground... war wanes and stops" - Mohammed Hassan Salim "Hamid"*
faisal.elbagir@gmail.com
