An advocacy organization issued a stark warning on Wednesday, stating that Sudan is on the verge of a catastrophic tribal conflict. The Advocacy Group for Peace in Sudan (AGPS) attributed the growing violence to escalating ethnic tensions and a perilous narrative of revenge.
The AGPS reported a recent uptick in assaults by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on communities in eastern Al-Jazirah state, leading to civilian deaths and widespread displacement. Additionally, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have intensified their airstrikes targeting civilian neighborhoods in Darfur, Kordofan, and Al-Jazirah, causing significant casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure.
“Both factions have alarmingly amplified their war rhetoric, which is driving communities into ethnic and regional factions,” stated the AGPS. The group expressed concern over the troubling rise in tribal loyalty and animosity, particularly in the Butana Plains, Nile River, Northern states, Darfur, Kordofan, and Eastern Sudan.
Local influencers, such as community leaders and artists, are intensifying calls for vengeance against entire communities linked to various social groups. “This troubling escalation could plunge the conflict into a devastating phase of tribal and regional alliances, risking widespread massacres and a humanitarian catastrophe,” the AGPS cautioned.
The AGPS has urged the international community to take immediate and decisive measures to curtail tribal mobilization and avert a humanitarian crisis. They also called for accountability for all parties involved in the conflict to address the looming threat of genocidal acts.
“Sudan is on the edge of disaster, with echoes of the 1994 Rwandan genocide looming ominously over the country,” the AGPS remarked. The organization stressed the urgent need for collective action to prevent Sudan from being irreparably fragmented by tribal strife.
