Sudan — What’s Going On and How You Can Help
You should really catch up on this.
Unless you’ve been under a rock this entire week, you’ve probably seen hundreds of posts and tweets about Sudan. A large portion of mainstream media has made the decision to not report on these issues, but we’ve got the rundown for you to read.
In April, Sudanese citizens overthrew Omar al-Bashir after months of protests that were triggered by cash and bread shortages nationwide. Al-Bashir ruled the country for 30 years despite many accusations of war crimes and genocide in Darfur, and the citizens had had enough and were tired of living in a dictatorship.
Once this happened military leaders had reportedly initially claimed they agreed to a civilian rule, but these talks soon dissolved. The pro-democracy movement led by the Sudanese Professionals Association wanted a civilian rule and a long transitional period before new elections are held, and this was to prepare for voting. The military leaders reportedly wanted voting to take place in as little as nine months and began to tighten their hold on the ‘supposedly’ transitional government it had formed; this caused the civilians to stage a strike.
On June 3, a non-violent protest proved to be too much for the military leaders to handle and they reacted to it violently. This violent response killed 52 peaceful protestors and injured over 700 more according to the World Health Organisation. According to civilian reports over 100 people were killed during this protest and bodies were dumped into the Nile River to cover tracks.
Amjad Farid, a spokesman for the Sudanese Professionals Association said: “The military council destroyed the political process”.
To prevent the victims in this situation reporting on the current occurrences in Sudan, the military shut down the internet nationwide. Also, women are being singled out in this crisis, raped and their underwear being stolen as ‘war trophies’.
As people are fleeing this violence it is apparent that there is a new refugee crisis is in the works, and these people need as much help as we can give.
How You Can Help:
As you’ve probably seen Bella Hadid, George Clooney, Tracee Ellis Ross, and many more celebrities have been posting about the unrest in Sudan. This is something you can do to help, with the internet being down in Sudan – we need to spread as much awareness as we can. Make sure what you’re sharing is accurate information and get as many people talking about this as you can.
Sudanese social media influencer Shahd Khidir who posts lifestyle content told her followers on Instagram: “There’s a massacre happening in my country Sudan’s and a media blackout and internet censorship for four consecutive days.”
Donate to charities like UNICEF, Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee. These charities work to protect children and have been working in Sudan for decades. Donating can make the difference of a child’s life and with many families fleeing they need as much help as we can give.
Sign this change.org petition demanding that the United Nations investigate deeply into the military leaders attack on June 3.
We are wishing all the innocent civilians in Sudan the absolute best and we hope this conflict will come to a close and they will get the justice they deserve.
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