The last couple of days I’ve been trying my hardest to find out more about the complicated and genuinely horrifying situation happening in Sudan – and you know what I’ve found from main stream media? Very little. There is a wave of silence across the world that is deafening and I can’t for the life of me understand why?
Here’s the down low on what is happening with the Sudan Crisis at the moment:
- President Omar Hassan al-Bashir stepped down a few months ago after 30 years of dictatorship. The peaceful protesters the world appears to have abandoned placed that pressure on him.
- The TMC (Transitional Military Council) took over running the country and promised change.
- The TMC has since resisted protesters demands for a civilian rule (democratic government like we have here in the UK) – this is the very thing they promised.
- The resistance against peaceful protesters turned into a violent crackdown, cutting off the internet – the very tool that protesters have been using to apply pressure to the dictatorships.
- The RSF (Rapid Support Force) are leading the crackdown. They are a paramilitary group associated with the TMC, and often known as the Janjaweed by local civilians. They are believed to be largely responsible for the 2003 genocide in Darfur.
- The New York Times reported that 118 people had been murdered over several days, with 40 bodies dragged from the Nile. The government admits to 61 deaths. The protesters claim the death toll is higher but it’s hard to get an accurate number.
- Protesters, including medical students and other impartial aids, have been treated for wounds – from gunshot wounds to brutal beatings. The RSF have targeted anyone – including children.
- There are dozens of reports from Sudan claiming the RSF are guilty of multiple rapes and other violent acts against mostly women and children, but also men.
So… where are we? Where are the UN? Why is this not being reported on?
All questions I can’t answer.
The only thing that we can do if we aren’t going to see reports from traditional media is raise awareness ourselves via social media. There are so many voices out there trying to reach out and tell the world of their struggles so to be it is vital that we amplify them where we can.
Get educated on what is happening – can you imagine having achieved freedom from a dictatorship only to have the military swoop in and crush your peaceful protests days later? I can’t. We need to amplify these voices, we need to scream for them because our silence is lethal. Our silence sees these people who have fought for democracy lose it at the last hurdle. These atrocities started happening on 3rd June and I am writing this on 17th because I have had to actively SEEK information – but when Notre Dame burnt, I couldn’t get it off my TV.
If everyone comes together and uses social media how it should be used, then the world won’t be able to ignore Sudan the way it has been doing.
What can you do?
- Follow #SudanUprising #WeAreAllSudan #SudanRevolts #BlueForSudan on instagram and twitter.
- Follow @hadyouatsalaam on instagram – she is sharing a wealth of knowledge and warning people of fake donation pages.
- Change your profile picture to blue if you feel like it – you don’t have to but it is one way to spark conversation.
- Share, share, share. Be the voice for those who have been silenced.
H 🙂
