By Moses Ntandu, Dar es Salaam
With deep sadness, I begin by urging Africans to wake up and raise their voices to stop the senseless killing of innocent brothers and sisters at the hands of a few greedy individuals. The future of peace and security on our continent is at stake.
Across Africa, thousands of innocent people have been slaughtered as many of them women, children, the elderly, and youth who represent tomorrow’s generation and the very foundation of our continent.
Countries such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Somalia are enduring unimaginable suffering. Sudan has long been a hotspot of conflict, while the DRC today bleeds with the blood of countless civilians, yet Africa remains largely silent, as though nothing is happening.
Sudan’s Struggle for Peace
In Sudan, the Transitional Military Council under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has sought to steer the country through nearly five years of turmoil.
Al-Burhan is seen by many as a steadfast defender of the Sudanese people, credited with stabilising the nation after years of upheaval. Peace has returned to some regions, although pockets of conflict remain.
Yet, the crisis is far from over. On Monday, during the opening of the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the suffering of Sudanese civilians as “indescribable.”
He condemned both warring parties for grave violations of humanitarian and human rights law, with particular criticism directed at the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to Türk, thousands of civilians have been killed this year alone, with violence escalating in Darfur and Kordofan. In El Fasher, after more than a year under siege, the humanitarian situation is catastrophic.
Civilians face dire shortages of food, water and medical supplies, amid constant bombardment. Sexual violence, especially against displaced women and girls, has become rampant. “There are no safe routes out of the city,” Türk warned, highlighting the risk of further atrocities and ethnically motivated violence.
International Solidarity Still Needed
Despite the Sudanese government’s efforts to protect civilians, international solidarity remains vital. The global community must not turn a blind eye but instead support initiatives to halt the crimes of the RSF and other armed groups exploiting the chaos.
At the same time, Sudan’s example of political parties uniting for the national interest offers a valuable lesson. Their solidarity sends a strong message: peace must come before politics.
Other conflict-affected nations, such as the DRC, would do well to follow this example, setting aside divisions to confront violence together, so that political competition can resume only after peace has been restored.
A Call Back to African Unity
Africa once stood united. Six or seven decades ago, nations across the continent rallied together in solidarity to fight for independence from colonial rule. That spirit of unity and shared struggle delivered freedom.
Today, as innocent lives are lost in conflicts from Khartoum to Kinshasa, we must ask ourselves: where has that unity gone?
