The Guardian view on atrocities in Sudan: when ‘never again’ becomes again, and again | Editorial

What Happened

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned on Friday that a catastrophe is unfolding in El Obeid, North Kordofan, where near-siege conditions are tightening amid relentless drone attacks and a massing of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters. This alert follows a pattern of atrocities, including the siege and massacre in El Fasher, North Darfur, where tens of thousands were killed, and UN investigators reported 'the hallmarks of genocide', including explicit calls to eliminate non-Arab communities. Civilians who fled or stayed were raped and murdered. Prior to El Fasher, RSF-allied forces conducted a killing spree in Geneina. Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ('Hemedti'), have committed war crimes. External actors, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are fuelling the conflict for gold, gum arabic, and geopolitical advantage. While the UAE denies backing the RSF, rights groups and diplomats identify it as the RSF's key supporter. The UK possesses evidence linking Ethiopia and the Emirates to the RSF in 2024 but has not disclosed it publicly due to significant UAE pressure.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The editorial highlights the recurrence of genocide-like atrocities in Sudan two decades after the Darfur genocide, with the international community failing to intervene. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands, displaced 15 million, and risks regional spillover. The UAE's critical role as an external backer, along with the inaction of Western governments partly due to economic ties, underscores how geopolitical and commercial interests prolong civilian suffering. The editorial suggests that public pressure campaigns targeting the UAE's image-conscious investments (e.g., NBA, Disney) could force a change in its support for the RSF.

Watch For

Monitor the tightening siege of El Obeid and any large-scale attack by RSF forces. Watch for whether the US Congress's Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission letters to corporations prompt divestment or public pressure on the UAE. Also observe if the UK releases its evidence of Emirati and Ethiopian support for the RSF, and whether Western governments impose sanctions or reduce diplomatic cover for the UAE.