Daily Times

As foreigners had fled bleeding Khartoum in mid-April, they had plans to return within weeks, if not days. With key players like Saudi Arabia and the US working to reconcile the warring Sudanese generals, the battle was not expected to last long. Today, the deadly power struggle continues to threaten the entire region, and no one appears to have any answers as to when peace will be given a chance. Ceasefires have been violated repeatedly, and everything from hospitals to markets is a target. That a thriving county in the Horn of Africa is staring down the barrel of shambolic chaos if infighting refuses to die down speaks volumes about how short-lived our illusions of normalcy are. Much, more worrisome has been the general apathy from the international community at the loss of over 850 innocent lives, while many more have been injured and an unknown number pushed out of their homes. Is it the colour of one’s skin or their location on the world map that assigns them a slot on the priority list? Does one need to be blue-eyed and golden-haired or come out of the Global North for others to take his troubles seriously? By dehumanising the sufferings of Sudanese as soon as embassies of the developed countries closed doors and diplomatic staff, safely evacuated, the international media has once again reaffirmed its bias.

While Riyadh and Washington DC should be appreciated for trying their best to stabilise the situation, deafening silence from the likes of the African Union in stopping the fighting would be felt for a long time to come. In order to prove their salt’s worth as credible and all-encompassing aid agencies, the torchbearers of human rights also need to step forward for the relief of some 25 million trapped by hellfire. *