Sudan: The Sabotage of a New Democracy

Written By YANA theartist

Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir became an elected leader of Sudan in 1993 and has reassigned himself to multiple roles of authority till he was overthrown in a coup d'etat on April 11th of 2019 (Ingham). Within that that time, al-Bashir would commit acts that earned him his place on the International Criminal Court webpage for crimes against humanity including but not limited to extermination, forcible transfer, torture, and rape. He is still at large evading arrest. (“Al Bashir | International Criminal Court”)

Sudan’s formal military, the Sudanese Armed Forces or SAF (led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan), though cited as having been on the side of civil protests throughout history, was still under al-Bashir’s direction for more than two decades. A powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, would demand integration into the Sudanese military in 2013. The groups would later join together to overthrow al-Bashir in 2019. (“Civil War in Sudan | Global Conflict Tracker”)

The United Nations would eventually begin brokering a contingency plan to turn over authority from the militant powers to a civilian led government. When Sudan was meant to transition into a democratic electoral system on April 6th of 2023, the SAF and the RSF postponed the shift in leadership to civilians. By April 15th of 2023 the SAF and RSF turned against one another- the leader from each faction believing they should be the sole authority of Sudan’s military power. (“Civil War in Sudan | Global Conflict Tracker”)

Since then the murders of civilians, rapes, and attacks on different states resulted in more than 7.5 million Sudanese people displaced and at least 12,000 killed (Nichols and Michael). Casualties rise as the two militant factions fight for vantage points in Sudan. Though both the RSF and the SAF are killing civilians, the RSF is infamous for sex crimes. 

Now, multiple countries are taking sides or even playing both sides in the war for Sudan. The UAE has been proven to send weapons under the guise of medical aid to the RSF (Schmitt). Ironically enough, the UAE is one of the countries who has opted to keep its economic relationship with Israel, stating, “The United Arab Emirates does not mix trade with politics.” And later on Nov 11 2023, was reportedly ignoring outcries to cease said relationship. (Uppal)

“The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, Russia, and the US have all cultivated ties to Sudan's warring generals Burhan and Hemedti in the lead-up to the current fighting,” says Ali Abba, writer for The New Arab. Though the UAE seems to give most of its support to the RSF, the other interested parties try to “mediate” between the RSF and SAF. 

Videos like this neatly wrap the collusion between the UAE and the RSF and their alleged arrangement to sacrifice Sudanese people in the pursuit of larger wealth. Sudan sits on the 3rd richest gold deposit in the continent of Africa.  It is the 10th most producer of gold in the world. Gold regulates currency in every country on the planet. Over 32 tons of gold were reportedly lost due to poaching in the year 2021. Sudanese gold miners work in abhorrent conditions similarly to laborers in Congo- making $2.15 a day (“The curse of Sudan's gold…”). Laborers inhale mercury used by the artisanal miners to separate the gold from other minerals. A major portion of that gold has allegedly been promised to the UAE in exchange of their support for the RSF. With both the lives of Sudanese civilians and the global economy in the balance- activists are urging the UN to act. (“Gold Is The Password”)


WHAT YOU CAN DO:

  • BOYCOTT Gold jewelry and antiques from major jewelers 

  • ONLY BUY ethically sourced jewelry, that can provide evidence it sources the gold from regulated mines

  • CALL YOUR REPS and question their complacency in the siege on Sudan’s resources

  • CALL YOUR REPS and request heavy taxation or penalties for jewelers that source gold from Sudan

  • SHARE THIS ARTICLE and all of the resources linked within it

  • WRITE YOUR OWN ARTICLES the more journalists we have reporting on this the better

  • POST VIDEOS about Sudan!! Awareness is extremely critical.

  • DONATE TO HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS 


Humanitarian organizations on the ground work to provide medical assistance and transportation services for Sudanese refugees. Here is a list: https://eyesonsudan.net/donate

The song “FIGURE IT OUT” by YANAtheartist is using the money earned from streams to send to the organizations linked above. You can help by streaming the song, using it in social media videos, sharing, or donating directly as mentioned before.

RESOURCES:

Works Cited

Ahmadi, Ali Abbas. “Who are the major foreign actors involved in Sudan fighting?” The New Arab, 18 April 2023, https://www.newarab.com/news/who-are-major-foreign-actors-involved-sudan-fighting. Accessed 20 January 2024.

“Al Bashir | International Criminal Court.” | International Criminal Court, https://www.icc-cpi.int/darfur/albashir. Accessed 20 January 2024.

“Civil War in Sudan | Global Conflict Tracker.” Council on Foreign Relations, 19 November 2023, https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/power-struggle-sudan. Accessed 20 January 2024.

“The curse of Sudan's gold: Why one of the world's poorest countries fails to profit from vast reserves.” EL PAÍS English, 10 May 2023, https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-10/the-curse-of-sudans-gold-why-one-of-the-worlds-poorest-countries-fails-to-profit-from-vast-reserves.html#. Accessed 20 January 2024.

“Gold Is The Password.” Gold is the Password: Why Does the UAE Support Hemedti in His War Against the Sudanese Army? | Al-Estiklal Newspaper, 30 April 2023, https://www.alestiklal.net/en/view/18117/gold-is-the-password-why-does-the-uae-support-hemedti-in-his-war-against-the-sudanese-army. Accessed 20 January 2024.

Ingham, Kenneth. “Omar al-Bashir | Biography & Facts.” Britannica, 1 January 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Omar-Hassan-Ahmad-al-Bashir. Accessed 20 January 2024.

Nichols, Michelle, and Maggie Michael. “Ethnic killings in one Sudan city left up to 15000 dead, UN report says.” Reuters, 20 January 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ethnic-killings-one-sudan-city-left-up-15000-dead-un-report-2024-01-19/. Accessed 20 January 2024.

Schmitt, Eric. “U.A.E. Talks Peace in Sudan War, but Secretly Backs One Side.” The New York Times, 29 September 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/world/africa/sudan-war-united-arab-emirates-chad.html. Accessed 20 January 2024.

Uppal, Rachna. “UAE, after Israel-Gaza conflict, says it does not mix trade with politics.” Reuters, 10 October 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-after-israel-gaza-conflict-says-it-does-not-mix-trade-with-politics-2023-10-10/. Accessed 20 January 2024.

YANA theartist