The following is an open letter to all in the international community

To all,

The situation in the nation of Sudan is extremely volatile, with the initial hope and optimism displayed after the overthrow of the oppressive dictator Omar Bashir giving way to violence and civil unrest. After months of demonstrations against the Bashir regime’s political repression, Bashir was overthrown in a military coup d’etat after 30 years of rule. The military generals who overthrew the genocidal Bashir regime do not intend to honour the demands of the protestors for free and fair elections and have begun to use violent force against peaceful protestors. In one egregious incident, more than 100 protestors were murdered, with some thrown off bridges. In the country’s capital city of Khartoum, the same paramilitary forces that slaughtered the protestors, known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have rampaged through the city, destroying shops and other businesses and committing acts of theft and violence against unarmed citizens. The military has shut down the internet inside the entire country to prevent the reporting of atrocities or the victims of their repression for asking for international aid. The situation in the country of Sudan is a humanitarian catastrophe, and intervention is needed by the international community, including Australia, in order to prevent a widescale conflict in the country that could escalate into a regional conflict.

In order to prevent evils such as genocide, the international community has a moral obligation to take preventative steps, including humanitarian aid and peace-keeping efforts to protect civilians and prevent acts of repression or genocide. In addition, there is the prospect for the crisis in Sudan to develop into an international refugee crisis, with people fleeing the violence and seeking refuge in neighbouring countries or elsewhere. This has already happened in the Sudanese province of Darfur, where government-backed militia murdered civilians, destroyed and looted their property, and caused thousands to flee to refugee camps in the surrounding areas. In order to alleviate the refugee crisis, it is crucial for Australia and other nations to send humanitarian aid to those affected and contribute to peacekeeping efforts to protect civilians.

The United Nations adopted the “Responsibility to Protect” doctrine in 2005, which holds that inherent in the notion of sovereignty is a responsibility to protect every member of the population from mass atrocities like genocide or ethnic cleansing, or other human rights violations. In practice, this principle has had the effect of encouraging military interventions by the international community in places such as Libya and Syria, where significant human rights violations were occurring. While it is unclear that this step will be necessary for the Sudan crisis, it is clear that peace-keeping efforts by the militaries of the international community, including those of Australia, will be necessary to protect civilians from genocidal militias such as the RSF.

Most African and western nations have condemned the actions of the Sudanese government, and the African Union has voted to suspend Sudan until a civilian-led government is in place. However, other nations such as Saudi Arabia have delayed sending aid, due to a fear of protests similar to those that toppled the Bashir regime breaking out. The actions of the Sudanese militia has drawn condemnation from the United States and the United Kingdom, and the United Nations has withdrawn all non-essential staff from the country but has been unable to impose sanctions due to opposition from Russia and China. It is thus imperative for Australia and other western countries to provide their own aid to the civilian population. 

In addition, several celebrities such as Rihanna, George Clooney, and rapper Ne-Yo have used social media and the power of their fame to alert people’s attention to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. While increased attention from prominent persons is a positive development, it is not enough to solve the crisis in that country. Tangible humanitarian aid, such as food supplies and shelter for civilians, is necessary, and nations such as Australia can help to provide this aid, as well as the manpower to distribute it. While non-governmental organizations are vital to aiding the affected populations of war-torn nations like Sudan, it is only the military forces of nations such as Australia that can effectively combat genocidal militias and adequately protect the vulnerable civilians.

Australia, as well as the rest of the developed world, has a moral responsibility to aid the afflicted peoples of the world and prevent horrors such as genocide or crimes against humanity from happening to anybody. Crimes against humanity, such as the horrors inflicted by the RSF, are to be fought against with utmost ferocity, as they violate every precept of civilized warfare and of basic human decency. It is undeniable that nations that are in a position to help, such as Australia, should lead the way in distributing humanitarian aid and peacekeeping forces to those who desperately need such services. It is the very least that a prosperous and strong nation such as Australia can do for the suffering civilian population of Sudan who is demanding the democratic reforms that their leaders promised but are now refusing to provide.

The international community has played a significant role in publicizing the atrocities committed by the Sudanese militia against peaceful protestors and in pressuring the Sudanese military government to rein in the militia and prevent the country from spiralling into civil war. The United States has led efforts to improve the situation in Sudan through diplomacy. The U.S. Under Secretary of State has reached out to diplomats in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to pressure the Sudanese government to stop the violence and repression, as Sudan’s Transition Military Council (TMC) is a client of both Arab nations. In addition, the African Union suspended Sudan’s membership in the body three weeks before their deadline for the military to return control of the Sudanese government to civilian officials. The African Union also sent an envoy, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, to Khartoum in order to restart negotiations, and reports from Khartoum suggest that the opposition is willing to submit to external mediation if certain conditions are met. The international community is using diplomacy and pressure on Khartoum in order to stop the killing of civilian demonstrators. Citizens in western nations have also been active in publicizing the atrocities committed by the militia, through spreading awareness through social media. This is important because the government has as of this writing shut down the internet within Sudan, so the average Sudanese citizen cannot spread the word about what is going on within their country. While these actions may have little impact on the actual situation in Sudan, spreading awareness about the violence may help motivate governments in western nations to send aid or add diplomatic pressure, and for private citizens to donate to humanitarian organizations helping the victims of the repression in Sudan.

However, there have been problems with international aid getting to Sudan. Russia and China have rejected western calls for increased peace-keeping forces in Sudan and have vetoed a United Nations Resolution condemning the violence and calling for the civilian government in Sudan. While this resistance from these two nations have successfully blocked a UN Resolution on the situation, several European countries, including France, Great Britain, Sweden, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium condemning the attacks against civilians by the Sudanese militia and for the transfer of power to a civilian government, which the protestors demanded after the overthrow of the genocidal dictator Omar el-Bashir. The international community has generally used diplomatic pressure to end the violence in Sudan and for the military to fulfil its promise to transfer authority to the civilian government. The international community, despite resistance from Russia and China, has also pro-actively condemned the violence in Sudan and has worked with the United Nations to aid those affected by the violent attacks. In addition, citizens throughout the world have raised awareness of the situation in Sudan through social media and through activism, thereby ensuring that the attention of the international community remains focused on the suffering people of Sudan.

The international community has done everything within its power to help the pro-democracy protestors and the common people of Sudan, despite the intransigence of the Sudanese military and opposition from countries such as Russia and China, but there is much still left to be done, and the situation could turn worse at any moment. Whether or not the role of the international community in the Sudanese crisis will ultimately be positive or ineffectual remains to be seen as of yet.

Hence, I plead on behalf of all that have suffered in this conflict that a new perspective is taken in dealing with the current situation and I call on all international actors to take action on the current urgent situation.

-Devnith De Silva

Fundraising Links:

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