Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) is gravely concerned by the alarming level of violence in the Blue Nile region. These brutal acts of violence being perpetrated against innocent civilians are a further reminder that the Sudanese military continues to instigate division and fails to address the worsening security situation in Sudan while the international community has turned its attention elsewhere.
The military coup on October 25th of last year has created a security vacuum that has facilitated a resurgence in inter-communal violence in a region that already faces conflicts over land, livestock, and access to water. Violence in the region previously erupted in July of this year due to agricultural disputes between the Hausa and Berta tribes over land ownership and control, leading to over 150 people getting injured and over 65 deaths. According to unconfirmed reports, the recent wave of violence came from two people from the El Hamaj tribe being killed in a land dispute in the Wad El Mahi locality on October 13, eventually leading to clashes between the Hausa community and other tribes. As a result, the violence has led to at least 198 deaths and over 90 people injured. Reports also point to the burning of women, children, the elderly, and pregnant women in their homes. In addition, the region has seen over 13,000 families displaced from the Wad El Mahi locality. The humanitarian situation in the region remains dire, as the number of people wounded have not been taken to the hospital due to the current security situation. Hospitals are also reported to not have enough resources to treat the civilians affected by the violence. Authorities were reported to have deployed the Sudanese army’s 4th Infantry Division and the Rapid Support Forces to restore “the state’s prestige”.
Since the October 25th coup, violence continues to escalate, and hundreds have lost their lives. Despite this, world leaders have perpetually overlooked the crisis in Sudan. As a result of the silence and complicity of our leaders, the Sudanese military will continue to exterminate more civilians. DWAG strongly denounces the escalation of this violence, as well as the international community’s willingness to look the other way in the face of this humanitarian catastrophe.
DWAG calls on the international community to take strong accountability measures and pressure Sudan to stop the ongoing violence. We call on the international community, the United States, and the UN Security Council to take the following measures:
- Authorize high-level Security Council delegates to investigate all violent incidents
- Demand Sudan to open unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need
- Impose targeted sanctions on individuals for committing and promoting gross human rights violations, including travel bans and asset freezing on military generals to ensure financial accountability to limit their access to weapons
- Demand that Sudanese authorities disarm the Janjaweed and withdraw its forces from civilian areas, in particular near the areas of camps for the internally displaced, which will protect civilian life and their human rights.
- Impose measures of criminal accountability and support the ICC to investigate the past and present crimes and to bring those responsible to face trial
- Call for authorization of neutral UN/international forces to protect civilians and end the mass massacres before it’s too late
DWAG equally urges our supporters to speak up, spread the word, and demand their leaders to take swift action to end the suffering and bring lasting peace and stability in Sudan. We must continue to make our voices louder and demand accountability. With our collective effort, we can make a difference and end the suffering across Sudan.
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