Humans are designed to have moral compasses of deciphering whether the situations that are happening are just. This quandary has significantly caught the attention of the United States.
As the Sudanese war progresses, leaving hundreds and thousands dead and millions in acute starvation, the US has finally decided to step in and take action in this clash.
Here is a recap of the recent advances in this war, according to APnews.com. The Biden administration said Tuesday that a Sudanese paramilitary group and its proxies are committing genocide in a civil war with the country’s military, a conflict that has already killed tens of thousands of people.
This step from the Biden administration was a tremendous start to ending this war, but many thought this intervention was too late. The Biden administration has known about this civil outbreak since the war between the two militias broke out in April of 2023. So many are asking, why now. Why not 21 months ago?
According to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, “the RSF-aligned militias have continued to direct attacks against civilians.”
“The RS and allied militias have systematically murdered men and boys – even infants – on an ethnic basis and deliberately targeted women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of brutal sexual violence. The RSF is now calculating and killing civilians violently and brutally. Sadly they are also aiming to kidnap young girls to rape and sexually assault. They are targeting fleeing civilians, murdering innocent people escaping conflict, and preventing remaining civilians from accessing lifesaving supplies,” he said in a statement.
These war crimes are unforgivable; many are wondering why this war has been ignored because it is damaging millions of lives. As the conflict rages on, these merciless killers create generational trauma.
From a humanitarian point of view, those affected will experience things they will remember for the rest of their lives.
“The biggest loser in this war are innocent, defenseless civilians, who are daily paying a high price as a result of the continued conflict,” the Sudanese Doctors Union said in a statement. “While their circumstances prevent them from leaving these areas.” His words demonstrate the human point of view; these people are the ones who are being hit the most when it comes to casualties and losing their homes.
According to The Times, a 16-year-old child soldier named Mohammed stated, “I thought of my secondary school near my home and playing football with my friends. The other guy said to me: ‘That’s where we should be, not killing people with these criminals.'”
This saddening story is one of thousands of child soldiers who long to be in their classrooms learning; these children are being pushed into the middle of a longstanding power struggle.
Mohammed also stated, “I don’t want to think about anything but returning to study. I want to think of anything but being with the RSF.” This quote entails the feeling of guilt for the child soldiers and contempt for their leaders.
This war is worsening daily. The U.S. has thankfully stepped in and helped with this dire issue. Human beings have to act according to their moral compasses, knowing the difference between right and wrong.
