Sudanese Refugees facing alienation
By Dr. Yasir Mahgoub Elhussein
War-ravaged regions in Sudan constitute less than 3% of the country’s vast land, primarily confined to the bustling capital city of Khartoum and some limited areas in adjacent western regions of Kordofan and Darfur. The total population of war-affected individuals amounts to less than 10 million of the country’s total population of 40 million. Of the 10 million people displaced to other regions within the country, only two million have managed to settle, leaving less than 300,000 to seek refuge in foreign lands. Despite the small number of affluent individuals who have chosen to flee the country and await the clearance of wartime turmoil, numerous relatives from neighboring and distant countries have shut their doors in the faces of Sudanese refugees, either by direct means or through the complicated entry procedures. Even those who manage to enter are returned to their homeland without sufficient aid. Sudanese fleeing their homeland and struggling like camels in barren deserts, are being hit hard and prevented from accessing watering ponds. Their fate is known to the countries involved as they are signatories to the Refugee Convention, which prohibits the expulsion or return of a refugee to borders or areas where he or she may be subjected to life-threatening risks.
“For decades, Sudan has served as a save haven for million individuals coming from neighboring countries and around the globe. The country’s ability to provide support and its material resources are not the factors that draw these multitudes. In many regions of Sudan, millions of internally displaced citizens have not been accommodated in isolated camps but have sought refuge within their own homes, with their kith and kin, sharing the little they possess in food and drink. As for foreign aid, while it has been sent to Sudan, the affected populace has not beheld even a trace of it. For example, medical support never reaches those in need as the hospitals and other relevant medical facilities are occupied by Rapid Support militias, who are propagating a terrorist regimen. The mediators are struggling to persuade these militant groups to come out explicitly and strongly condemn such barbarism. Recent figures from the Sudanese Ministry of Health confirm that since the inception of conflict, 705 individuals have lost their lives, and 5,287 have been injured. The World Health Organization’s spokesperson, Carla Drysdale, has also documented 34 assaults targeting health care facilities, leading to the death of eight frontline health workers. The biggest hurdle to provision of health care remains the looting of medical supplies and the occupation of health facilities by military personnel.
The tally of refugees who have migrated to Sudan from neighboring and afar nations due to conflicts, wars, turmoil, indigence, unemployment and the quest for the opportunity for migration, continues to rise relentlessly over the course of the past few decades. The ramifications of such immigration is notable in the lifestyle of Sudanese civilians and the quality of social amenities available to them. Consequently, the prevalence of criminality has surged, whereby the persistent pillaging, perpetrated by rebellious militants, has left many a homestead and institution barren of what remains following the inadequate possessions possessed by the refugees from abroad. In addition, the ranks of the rebels wield a sizeable number of militia members who originate from foreign states and have been exploited and compelled into joining their ranks.
Given Sudan’s lengthy history of hospitality towards refugees and asylum-seekers, UN administrators and their organizations have not been able to surpass the level of provision that Sudan accords to such refugees, as per statements by UNHCR. Praise for Sudan’s philanthropy to refugees arriving from neighboring countries has been conveyed for years by the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs’ Special Envoy, post-his visits to the numerous refugee sites. The Sudanese populace exhibits remarkable amicability to Palestinian and Syrian refugees, whom the Sudanese view as guests as opposed to refugees, unlike various other countries. The Sudanese government permits these visitors to remain, receive education and secure work, without prior visa requirements imposed upon them.
The European Union, having entered into a 2016 accord with the Sudanese government, selected, ironically, the rapid support militia, ultimately to prevent illegal migration across Sudan’s northwestern border with Libya. The militia received millions of dollars in compensation for its pledged efforts. Unfortunately, however, the group has transcended this near ideological aim and instead engenders a crisis after another. These concerns span from drug trafficking to arms smuggling, even involvement in foreign missions beside the Russian Wagner mercenaries.
The Western world adopts a Machiavellian approach in achieving its interests, regardless of the principles and values espoused in bright slogans and songs. It does not hesitate to deal with countries it labels as “rogue” or “terrorist.” One wonder is the warning issued by the Commission’s foreign policy department against damaging the reputation of the European Union. The warning is in response to the International Criminal Court’s prosecution of Sudanese leaders, including the commander of the Rapid Support Militia, known as “Hemedti,” on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
The Sudanese crisis is emblematic of the global crisis of conscience and international hypocrisy. While the United States addresses the Sudanese army’s use of force to end the rebellion and chaos in Khartoum, it warns that war will not resolve the conflict. However, it simultaneously calls for a military resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and fuels the flames of war by providing lethal weapons to one of the parties involved. UN officials, including the UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, have played a hypocritical role in international politics while vulnerable populations continue to suffer.
If international organizations like the United Nations are meant to represent universal conscience, it appears that they have failed in their mission. Instead, they have become nothing more than a symbolic facade amidst the raging wars and humanitarian crises that plague the world.r