A recent terrifying massacre occurred in Ardamata, adding more tension and uprising in the region; the people of Sudan are ready for a change in power and the dismantling of high-power groups and individuals that are causing such violence. Witness reports say that the residents of the village were told that the gunshots and violence would stop; unfortunately, the morning after these statements were made, a massacre ensued. Fighters, part of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and an allied militia went to every house in the village in a “killing frenzy,” and the gunmen were young men and teenage boys accused of harboring weapons and causing violence and destruction like this. This has become all but normalized in the region, with villages stripped down to bare bones for all of their hard-earned resources and innocent people being left in the street to die.
The massacre occurred after a violent battle for a Sudanese military base, and during all of the fighting, dozens of innocent lives were lost, homes and villages were raided, and the humanitarian crisis was only becoming abundantly clear. The United Nations reported that 800 people were killed in the fighting, but that is a small number considering the lack of documentation or proper government to keep track. The violence in Ardamata marks the second wave of killings targeting the Masalit community in West Darfur. The initial wave occurred from April to June when the RSF and Arab militias engaged in a brutal campaign involving rape and murder. This conflict unfolded as they clashed with Masalit fighters for weeks in El Geneina, a previously diverse city with a population of 540,000 before the war. International activists say that these historical events taking place in Sudan are another repeat of genocide and should be addressed by global actors and decision-makers.
Violence like this must be noticed and recognized as what is is: a humanitarian crisis, and the people who must endure the violence and unlawfulness need access to fundamental human rights and civil liberties. Access to food, shelter, a safe home, and an environment that is not in constant war with each other; however, we must come up with a solution that does not impact the stability or safekeeping of other countries. Global issues like this are widespread, happening in many places of the world, and the international community must keep a close eye on conflicts like this to prevent things like a spillover effect or terrorist groups who have somehow maintained power gaining too much power and causing problems on a more extensive spectrum.