Khartoum has been reduced to a charred battleground.
June 5, 2024 1:12 PM Subscribe
A War on the Nile Pushes Sudan Toward the Abyss The gold market is a graveyard of rubble and dog-eaten corpses. The state TV station became a torture chamber. The national film archive was blown open in battle, its treasures now yellowing in the sun.....
(SLNYT)
...Artillery shells soar over the Nile, smashing into hospitals and houses. Residents bury their dead outside their front doors. Others march in formation, joining civilian militias. In a hushed famine ward, starving babies fight for life. Every few days, one of them dies.
Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and one of the largest cities in Africa, has been reduced to a charred battleground. A feud between two generals fighting for power has dragged the country into civil war and turned the city into ground zero for one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes.
----
More Resources: MSF - Doctors Without Borders - Amnesty - UNOCHA - ACAPS - Sudan Tribune
...Artillery shells soar over the Nile, smashing into hospitals and houses. Residents bury their dead outside their front doors. Others march in formation, joining civilian militias. In a hushed famine ward, starving babies fight for life. Every few days, one of them dies.
Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and one of the largest cities in Africa, has been reduced to a charred battleground. A feud between two generals fighting for power has dragged the country into civil war and turned the city into ground zero for one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes.
----
More Resources: MSF - Doctors Without Borders - Amnesty - UNOCHA - ACAPS - Sudan Tribune
↑ ungated nyt link from chavenet, ty ↑
posted by lalochezia at 1:22 PM on June 5
posted by lalochezia at 1:22 PM on June 5
words fail. thank you for the update
posted by HearHere at 1:41 PM on June 5 [3 favorites]
posted by HearHere at 1:41 PM on June 5 [3 favorites]
I had no idea at all. Jesus.
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:13 PM on June 5 [4 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:13 PM on June 5 [4 favorites]
I was bitching this morning because the drive thru line at Starbucks was so long. I'm an idiot.
posted by Czjewel at 2:20 PM on June 5 [1 favorite]
posted by Czjewel at 2:20 PM on June 5 [1 favorite]
I had no idea at all.
It's not getting much media coverage or general discussion, from what I can see.
posted by doctornemo at 2:24 PM on June 5 [3 favorites]
It's not getting much media coverage or general discussion, from what I can see.
posted by doctornemo at 2:24 PM on June 5 [3 favorites]
This is awful
posted by supermedusa at 2:31 PM on June 5
posted by supermedusa at 2:31 PM on June 5
Fuck.
Honestly stumbled for a second reading the post figuring out if this was something historical. I had no idea.
The world is full of horrors right now.
posted by Artw at 2:33 PM on June 5 [8 favorites]
Honestly stumbled for a second reading the post figuring out if this was something historical. I had no idea.
The world is full of horrors right now.
posted by Artw at 2:33 PM on June 5 [8 favorites]
As many as 150,000 people have died since the conflict erupted last year, by American estimates. Another nine million have been forced from their homes, making Sudan home to the largest displacement crisis on earth, the United Nations says. A famine looms that officials warn could kill hundreds of thousands of children in the coming months and, if unchecked, rival the great Ethiopian famine of the 1980s.
posted by doctornemo at 2:40 PM on June 5 [3 favorites]
posted by doctornemo at 2:40 PM on June 5 [3 favorites]
I'm not able to read the article itself but I've read some other sources and this is absolutely heartbreaking. Specifically I was looking at the explainer at https://www.unrefugees.org/news/sudan-crisis-explained/ which contained the paragraph:
Sudan has also been heavily impacted by severe weather events linked to climate change, including floods and droughts. These events have adversely affected hundreds of thousands of individuals throughout the country, leading to crop and livestock destruction and exacerbating food insecurity for families.
I'd been wondering if this might be related to climate change and I know this isn't the beginning of climate-related instability but it does seem to be an example of it. I am keeping the people of Sudan in my thoughts and I hope the situation improves. Thank you for this post, I appreciate you bringing this awareness; I want to say more but I don't have good words. This is devastating.
posted by an octopus IRL at 3:14 PM on June 5 [4 favorites]
Sudan has also been heavily impacted by severe weather events linked to climate change, including floods and droughts. These events have adversely affected hundreds of thousands of individuals throughout the country, leading to crop and livestock destruction and exacerbating food insecurity for families.
I'd been wondering if this might be related to climate change and I know this isn't the beginning of climate-related instability but it does seem to be an example of it. I am keeping the people of Sudan in my thoughts and I hope the situation improves. Thank you for this post, I appreciate you bringing this awareness; I want to say more but I don't have good words. This is devastating.
posted by an octopus IRL at 3:14 PM on June 5 [4 favorites]
International Rescue Committee also a page up on their efforts and the challenges
posted by interogative mood at 3:20 PM on June 5
posted by interogative mood at 3:20 PM on June 5
I'd been wondering if this might be related to climate change and I know this isn't the beginning of climate-related instability but it does seem to be an example of it.
Isn't Sudan and Khartoum on the edge of the Sahara desert? I suspect even if we cured global warming tomorrow they'd still be undergoing the kind of cyclical droughts the Bible describes in Egypt. The entire Sahel region is like this, and I recall reading a book from the 80s about simulating political and economic policymaking using the area as a perpetual region of humanitarian crisis. Climate change probably isn't helping but I'm not sure the situation becomes materially different either way.
As the OP article points out, the main players are Russia, Iran, Wagner Group, and the UAE as supporting one of two sides in an apparent struggle of succession after Omar al-Bashir was deposed, and probably the most valuable resource being fought over is the oil fields, and the export markets associated with it, followed by the gold mines.
posted by pwnguin at 4:21 PM on June 5 [2 favorites]
Isn't Sudan and Khartoum on the edge of the Sahara desert? I suspect even if we cured global warming tomorrow they'd still be undergoing the kind of cyclical droughts the Bible describes in Egypt. The entire Sahel region is like this, and I recall reading a book from the 80s about simulating political and economic policymaking using the area as a perpetual region of humanitarian crisis. Climate change probably isn't helping but I'm not sure the situation becomes materially different either way.
As the OP article points out, the main players are Russia, Iran, Wagner Group, and the UAE as supporting one of two sides in an apparent struggle of succession after Omar al-Bashir was deposed, and probably the most valuable resource being fought over is the oil fields, and the export markets associated with it, followed by the gold mines.
posted by pwnguin at 4:21 PM on June 5 [2 favorites]
Cue massive university protests and building occupations.
American and Canadian universities aren't, generally speaking, investing in the genocide in Sudan. American and Canadian companies aren't building their weapons; the American and Canadian governments already provide zero military aid and some humanitarian aid (although definitely not enough).
What exactly would the students be protesting about?
posted by adrienneleigh at 4:57 PM on June 5 [27 favorites]
American and Canadian universities aren't, generally speaking, investing in the genocide in Sudan. American and Canadian companies aren't building their weapons; the American and Canadian governments already provide zero military aid and some humanitarian aid (although definitely not enough).
What exactly would the students be protesting about?
posted by adrienneleigh at 4:57 PM on June 5 [27 favorites]
Cue massive university protests and building occupations.
If this is supposed to be some kind of zinger, you can stuff it. Really?
posted by praemunire at 5:34 PM on June 5 [28 favorites]
If this is supposed to be some kind of zinger, you can stuff it. Really?
posted by praemunire at 5:34 PM on June 5 [28 favorites]
What exactly would the students be protesting about?
For one, they might protest at the lack of action taken by their national government concerning the crisis.
They could also request teaching about the topic, as well as service learning and other forms of helping Sudanese civilians.
posted by doctornemo at 5:53 PM on June 5 [5 favorites]
For one, they might protest at the lack of action taken by their national government concerning the crisis.
They could also request teaching about the topic, as well as service learning and other forms of helping Sudanese civilians.
posted by doctornemo at 5:53 PM on June 5 [5 favorites]
Not a direct comparison but I remember the “Kony 2012” people being active on college campuses. I know there were a lot of questions about what they were doing and their impact, but they were raising awareness of humanitarian issues in Africa. In the case of Sudan, I had heard some things were going on, but I had no idea the scale.
posted by CostcoCultist at 6:10 PM on June 5 [2 favorites]
posted by CostcoCultist at 6:10 PM on June 5 [2 favorites]
The reaction of some people in this thread already weaponizing the article against Palestinians goes to show exactly why you ought to be distrustful of outlets like the New York Times and their agendas, even when they are covering real human tragedy.
posted by dusty potato at 6:57 PM on June 5 [1 favorite]
posted by dusty potato at 6:57 PM on June 5 [1 favorite]
Agreed re weaponizing. Anyone wanting to talk Gaza can go over to that thread instead of making some snarky, obviously veiled remark here about student protests.
posted by interogative mood at 7:06 PM on June 5 [8 favorites]
posted by interogative mood at 7:06 PM on June 5 [8 favorites]
I remember the “Kony 2012” people being active on college campuses.
Me too.
Back in the 1990s I tried to get people exercised about what was then becoming former Yugoslavia.
In the 1920s and 30s there were various student movements about war in Europe and the United States.
posted by doctornemo at 7:18 PM on June 5 [1 favorite]
Me too.
Back in the 1990s I tried to get people exercised about what was then becoming former Yugoslavia.
In the 1920s and 30s there were various student movements about war in Europe and the United States.
posted by doctornemo at 7:18 PM on June 5 [1 favorite]
The reaction of some people in this thread already weaponizing the article against Palestinians goes to show exactly why you ought to be distrustful of outlets like the New York Times and their agendas, even when they are covering real human tragedy.
wat
posted by lalochezia at 8:15 PM on June 5 [5 favorites]
wat
posted by lalochezia at 8:15 PM on June 5 [5 favorites]
PBS NewsHour video coverage of Sudan:
May 28th: "Millions Living Through Nightmare."
May 14th: "Sudan's Paramilitary Forces Accused of Ethnic Cleansing."
May 5th: "Sudan Marks One Year of Brutal Civil War."
April 4th: "How Sudan's Civil War has Created a Massive Hunger Crisis."
Reported by Lindsey Hilsum.
posted by JDC8 at 9:16 PM on June 5 [7 favorites]
May 28th: "Millions Living Through Nightmare."
May 14th: "Sudan's Paramilitary Forces Accused of Ethnic Cleansing."
May 5th: "Sudan Marks One Year of Brutal Civil War."
April 4th: "How Sudan's Civil War has Created a Massive Hunger Crisis."
Reported by Lindsey Hilsum.
posted by JDC8 at 9:16 PM on June 5 [7 favorites]
This isn't a thread on Gaza.
There is no known US involvement in this war other than trying to start negotiations. It's absurd to demand protests, unless the protest is to become more involved, hopefully sending more relief aid rather than bombing one side or other.
This war has caused a lot of innocent death and suffering, and is worthy of coverage regardless of any other war. It's absurd to accuse an article on it to somehow be against Palestinians.
It's a tragic war, and it's being fueled by very cynical foreign involvement. Both Russia and Iran are trying to get a naval base in Port Sudan. Russia is playing both sides and has extracted almost $2 billion in gold from the RSF in exchange for Russian/Wagner-group support, and appears ready to switch to the SAF to secure the naval facility. As the article points out, the UAE and Ukraine are also involved, and it's likely the US role goes beyond feckless peacemaker.
Meanwhile people who don't care one acronym from another suffer and die. I wish humanity was better.
posted by netowl at 9:32 PM on June 5 [12 favorites]
There is no known US involvement in this war other than trying to start negotiations. It's absurd to demand protests, unless the protest is to become more involved, hopefully sending more relief aid rather than bombing one side or other.
This war has caused a lot of innocent death and suffering, and is worthy of coverage regardless of any other war. It's absurd to accuse an article on it to somehow be against Palestinians.
It's a tragic war, and it's being fueled by very cynical foreign involvement. Both Russia and Iran are trying to get a naval base in Port Sudan. Russia is playing both sides and has extracted almost $2 billion in gold from the RSF in exchange for Russian/Wagner-group support, and appears ready to switch to the SAF to secure the naval facility. As the article points out, the UAE and Ukraine are also involved, and it's likely the US role goes beyond feckless peacemaker.
Meanwhile people who don't care one acronym from another suffer and die. I wish humanity was better.
posted by netowl at 9:32 PM on June 5 [12 favorites]
The fpp and its links are fine. The snarky comment about student protests is what folks are reacting to as unnecessary anti-Palestinian sentiment in an unrelated thread.
posted by eviemath at 3:36 AM on June 6 [4 favorites]
posted by eviemath at 3:36 AM on June 6 [4 favorites]
I also hadn’t heard much about the situation in Sudan lately. Thank you for this update and bringing it (back to) our attention, lalochezia.
posted by eviemath at 3:38 AM on June 6
posted by eviemath at 3:38 AM on June 6
This war has caused a lot of innocent death and suffering, and is worthy of coverage regardless of any other war. It's absurd to accuse an article on it to somehow be against Palestinians.
If this was addressed at me, I didn't mean to imply that this issue isn't worthy of coverage, I don't think the article is "against Palestinians", and I otherwise basically agree with your post.
posted by dusty potato at 6:37 AM on June 6 [1 favorite]
If this was addressed at me, I didn't mean to imply that this issue isn't worthy of coverage, I don't think the article is "against Palestinians", and I otherwise basically agree with your post.
posted by dusty potato at 6:37 AM on June 6 [1 favorite]
The entire Sahel region is like this, and I recall reading a book from the 80s about simulating political and economic policymaking using the area as a perpetual region of humanitarian crisis. Climate change probably isn't helping but I'm not sure the situation becomes materially different either way.
So, yes but mostly no. Droughts have long been part of this region but what's new with climate change is the scale of droughts and how long they last - the various peoples of the Sahel have long practiced saving grain in lush years so that way in lean years there is enough food. But that gets hard when you have drought, after drought, after drought.
Also, economic policy wonks of the 1980s were....well, very Eurocentric (I mean, still are, but at least the field is diversifying a bit), and a lot of what was published in the 80s has since been heavily critiqued - particularly any notion that this region is "naturally" in crisis. Like always, colonialism and its legacies didn't help. It's a fairly dense book so I don't recommend to the casual reader, but Fairhead, J. and M. Leach, Misreading the African landscape: society and ecology in a forest-Savanna mosaic. was groundbreaking and the TL:DR is that in the Sahel region of Guinea, the very farming techniques colonial officials demonized as environmental destructive were actually key to forest reclamation. This then sparked an edited volume that I would recommend, of easily digestible chapters from all over the Sahel related to this topic: The Lie of the Land: Challenging Received Wisdom on the African Environment.
Anyway, this is admittedly a bit of a tangent, perhaps because like others I find what's happening in Sudan overwhelmingly awful and I'm not sure what to say about it - but I do think it's worth keeping in mind that drought is getting worse, and climate change + meddling outsiders have, historically, been the main culprits in the Sahel region as a whole.
posted by coffeecat at 8:22 AM on June 6 [10 favorites]
So, yes but mostly no. Droughts have long been part of this region but what's new with climate change is the scale of droughts and how long they last - the various peoples of the Sahel have long practiced saving grain in lush years so that way in lean years there is enough food. But that gets hard when you have drought, after drought, after drought.
Also, economic policy wonks of the 1980s were....well, very Eurocentric (I mean, still are, but at least the field is diversifying a bit), and a lot of what was published in the 80s has since been heavily critiqued - particularly any notion that this region is "naturally" in crisis. Like always, colonialism and its legacies didn't help. It's a fairly dense book so I don't recommend to the casual reader, but Fairhead, J. and M. Leach, Misreading the African landscape: society and ecology in a forest-Savanna mosaic. was groundbreaking and the TL:DR is that in the Sahel region of Guinea, the very farming techniques colonial officials demonized as environmental destructive were actually key to forest reclamation. This then sparked an edited volume that I would recommend, of easily digestible chapters from all over the Sahel related to this topic: The Lie of the Land: Challenging Received Wisdom on the African Environment.
Anyway, this is admittedly a bit of a tangent, perhaps because like others I find what's happening in Sudan overwhelmingly awful and I'm not sure what to say about it - but I do think it's worth keeping in mind that drought is getting worse, and climate change + meddling outsiders have, historically, been the main culprits in the Sahel region as a whole.
posted by coffeecat at 8:22 AM on June 6 [10 favorites]
I say this as someone who only flags comments or threads for 'Fantastic,' but there are times we as community members absolutely should flag for less positive reasons
some derails are just purely harmful and this thread deserves better. this in itself is a derail, but I guess I want to call attention to something that really shouldn't happen and thanks for the information lalochezia because it's why I frequent MeFi
posted by elkevelvet at 10:21 AM on June 6
some derails are just purely harmful and this thread deserves better. this in itself is a derail, but I guess I want to call attention to something that really shouldn't happen and thanks for the information lalochezia because it's why I frequent MeFi
posted by elkevelvet at 10:21 AM on June 6
Mod note: Wildly offtopic and derailing comment about university protests has been removed, but the replies have been left in place for context.
Please stay on topic when posting comments because that'll help the conversation, thanks.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 3:38 PM on June 6
Please stay on topic when posting comments because that'll help the conversation, thanks.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 3:38 PM on June 6
It's more about oil than climate afaik: Sudan has 0.3% of the the world's oil. As comparisons, Norway has 0.31%, Scotland has 0.17%, Russia has 4.8%, and the US has 2.1%.
We should expect conflicts over oil worsen over time: We've 47 years of oil remaining in proven reserves, but new US shale wells decline ever faster. "last nation with one with oil wins"
At some level humans have impacted the region's climate for millennia (previously). And recent climate change invariably worsens the consequences of conflict.
It's obvious that better public discussion of any of the ongoing genocides should improve the public discussion of all the others, but maybe the many specific reasons why belong in another thread.
posted by jeffburdges at 4:29 PM on June 9 [1 favorite]
We should expect conflicts over oil worsen over time: We've 47 years of oil remaining in proven reserves, but new US shale wells decline ever faster. "last nation with one with oil wins"
At some level humans have impacted the region's climate for millennia (previously). And recent climate change invariably worsens the consequences of conflict.
It's obvious that better public discussion of any of the ongoing genocides should improve the public discussion of all the others, but maybe the many specific reasons why belong in another thread.
posted by jeffburdges at 4:29 PM on June 9 [1 favorite]
An update from Slate, focusing on efforts to feed people. 9 million have fled their homes; 150,000 dead. "The unfolding famine is a result of three things: It’s that people simply don’t have income to purchase food, the lack of security has made it hard to get aid into some places, and we have the looting of aid."
posted by zompist at 3:17 AM on July 3 [2 favorites]
posted by zompist at 3:17 AM on July 3 [2 favorites]
War in the Congo has kept the planet cooler
If correct, and respeonces mostly suggest alternative framings so maybe so, then maybe we should try this apperoach in palces with higher emissions today, and hence where emissions can be reduced much further? lol
posted by jeffburdges at 6:21 AM on July 5
If correct, and respeonces mostly suggest alternative framings so maybe so, then maybe we should try this apperoach in palces with higher emissions today, and hence where emissions can be reduced much further? lol
posted by jeffburdges at 6:21 AM on July 5
« Older Australian lab-grown meat hits the shelves in... | Over $100? Time to bring out the Big Guns Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by chavenet at 1:18 PM on June 5 [2 favorites]