Sudan’s Civil War: Colonial & Masculinised War Discourse

Lena Nicoletti is a second year International Social and Political Studies student. She has interned at the Santa Clara Superior Court and the California State Capitol. (lena.nicoletti.23@ucl.ac.uk)

Introduction

The Civil War in Sudan has been raging for over a year now. On 15 April 2023, a violent conflict erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). It is estimated that over 11 million people have been displaced as a result of this conflict – 7 million of them being internal refugees [1], [2]. The UN considers this to be the largest IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) crisis in the world [3]. Not only do these refugees face the trauma inherent to displacement and war, but more than 25.6 million people are experiencing “crisis levels of hunger” in Sudan [4]. 

The human rights situation of Sudanese women and girls

In the midst of this violent conflict and dire humanitarian crisis, the impact on women and girls is disproportional. In April 2024, UN Women estimated that 53% of displaced people were women and girls [5]. Moreover, the lack of access to healthcare particularly affects women, as expecting mothers lack access to vital maternal care and nutrition, putting thousands of women at risk of imminent death if their needs remain unmet, according to UN Women [5]. On the whole, mass atrocities and sexual and gender-based violence, such as rape, gang rape, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation are widespread during this conflict [6]. Even women working as journalists and medical personnel are not safe from these war crimes, as they are brutalised by RSF forces as “punishment” for their work in Sudan [7]. Evidently, Sudan – and particularly Sudanese women and girls – face an abysmal human rights situation. Despite the magnitude of this catastrophe, Western media has been largely silent about the realities facing Sudanese people, particularly women and girls. Doctors Without Borders describes the Sudanese war as “underreported and even ignored” [8]. The Sudan conflict suffers from a double-edged sword: not only is the war itself in large part omitted from mainstream news coverage in the West, but the disproportionate and cataclysmic impact of the conflict on women and girls is even less prevalent in news coverage, in the rare event that this does occur. 

The prevailing effects of colonialism

It would be disingenuous to discuss the war in Sudan without mentioning the impact of colonialism and colonial narratives on this conflict. Though there are many complex factors which led to the outbreak of Sudan’s brutal civil war in 2023, we cannot ignore the violent history of colonialism and its impact on modern-day Sudan. Sudan is a former British-Egyptian colony, having been colonised from the 1890s until 1956 [9]. During their colonial rule, the British employed a ‘divide and rule’ policy to separate north and south Sudan socially and culturally [10]. Additionally, ‘indirect rule’ policies caused the south to be split into “hundreds of informal chiefdoms” [10]. The immediate result of these sinister measures was a deeply divided Sudan with a more affluent, Muslim northern region and a less developed, Christian southern region [11]. Inevitably, the divisions sowed by colonisers led to civil conflicts immediately following Sudan’s independence – and they continue to this day. 

Despite the obvious part the West has to play in the prevalence of violent civil conflicts and political instability in many African nations, Western countries and media outlets have remained largely silent about the Sudanese Civil War. News coverage continues to be shaped by colonial narratives, consistently dismissing the suffering of people of colour and ignoring the responsibility of the West in sowing the seeds which have allowed this conflict to flourish.

Masculinised war discourse

Similarly, the pain of Sudanese women and girls has been largely omitted from mainstream media – in the event that coverage about Sudan occurs. This reflects a broader trend of masculinised war discourse. War and conflict is most frequently presented as a men’s issue – involving male soldiers, male leaders, and women as the unfortunate collateral damage. As noted by Ottosen and von der Lippe,  the “stories told of history, war, defeat, victory and glory spring mainly – and more manifestly than other discourses – from masculinised memory, ambitions, humiliation and hope, told mainly by males in power positions and male reporters” [12]. As a result, the “forces shaping our collective perspectives are [...] dominated by men’s voices, and traditional masculinist war narratives” [12], meaning the disproportionate impact of war on women (including famine, sexual violence, and a lack of healthcare) is omitted in the mainstream discourse about war. Not only is this silence damming because it is morally reprehensible, it is damming because it has material consequences. Doctors Without Borders in Sudan has reported that on one occasion at Kalma Camp, aid agencies delivered only 700 bags of food, despite the refugee camp housing more than 180 000 people [8]. Clearly, the world is not watching, and therefore, resources and aid are in extremely short supply. And as I have illustrated, women and girls bear the brunt of this humanitarian catastrophe.

The need for change

On the whole, colonial and masculinised war discourses continue to dominate the narratives surrounding the Sudanese Civil War. As a result, the war as a whole, including its disproportionate and devastating on women and girls, goes largely unnoticed in the West. In turn, this apparent global apathy has led to an absence of crucial humanitarian aid, meaning the situation of Sudanese civilians will only continue to deteriorate. Though the path to a ceasefire remains uncertain – particularly considering the United Arab Emirates’ continued funding of the RSF – the importance of paying attention and changing the narrative cannot be understated. Indeed, it is our attention (or lack thereof) which dictates whether world leaders are willing to supply humanitarian aid and work towards a diplomatic solution. Though raising awareness by no means guarantees an immediate solution, looking away constitutes an acceptance of the status quo.

Works Cited

[1] ABC News (2024) ‘Sudanese paramilitary kills more than 120 civilians’, ABC News, 28 October. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-28/sudanese-paramilitary-kills-more-than-120-civilians/104525824 (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[2] Migration Data Portal (n.d.) ‘Sudan: Key facts & figures’. Available at: https://www.migrationdataportal.org/Sudan#:~:text=KEY%20FACTS%20%26%20FIGURES,3.8%20million%20internally%20displaced%20persons (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[3] UNHCR (2024) ‘Sudan crisis explained’, UN Refugee Agency. Available at: https://www.unrefugees.org/news/sudan-crisis-explained/ (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[4] World Food Programme (n.d.) ‘Sudan: Overview’. Available at: https://www.wfp.org/countries/sudan (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[5] UN Women (2024) ‘A year of suffering for Sudanese women and girls’, UN Women, April. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2024/04/a-year-of-suffering-for-sudanese-women-and-girls (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[6] UN Women (2024) ‘A year of suffering for Sudanese women and girls’, UN Women, April. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/statement/2024/04/a-year-of-suffering-for-sudanese-women-and-girls (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[7] Pembroke Observer (n.d.) ‘Women and girls suffer in Sudan conflict’. Available at: https://www.pembrokeobserver.com/opinion/women-and-girls-suffer-in-sudan-conflict (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[8] Médecins Sans Frontières (2024) ‘The biggest humanitarian crisis on Earth: why is no one talking about it?’, Médecins Sans Frontières. Available at: https://msf.org.uk/article/biggest-humanitarian-crisis-earth-why-no-one-talking-about-it (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[9] BBC News (n.d.) ‘Sudan country profile’. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14094995#:~:text=1899%2D1955%20%2D%20Sudan%20is%20under,south%2C%20to%20vote%20on%20independence (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[10] Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective (n.d.) ‘Sudan and Darfur: from colonialism to protest’. Available at: https://origins.osu.edu/article/sudan-darfur-al-bashir-colonial-protest (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[11] Lords Library (2024) ‘Civil war in Sudan: is there a path to peace?’. Available at: https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/civil-war-in-sudan-is-there-a-path-to-peace/ (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).

[12] Johansson, E. (2010) Challenges of peacebuilding in Sudan: a study of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Uppsala University. Available at: https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1054710/FULLTEXT01.pdf (Last accessed: 21 November 2024).