Remembering a Tragic Chapter: Sudan's Civil War in the Late 1990s (The Unlearned Lesson)

The unlearned lesson reminds us that humanity often falls victim to its own shortsightedness. Wars erupt, mass atrocities occur, and the suffering is immense. But when the dust settles, instead of learning from these painful experiences, we often return to the familiar path of conflict, driven by fear, ideology, or greed.

It's a pattern we see in #Sudan, where protracted civil wars have resulted in massive civilian casualties, displacement, and suffering. The reasons behind these conflicts may differ, but the outcome remains tragically similar: the destruction of communities, and the absence of clear, lasting solutions.

The unlearned lesson is a stark reminder that history should be our greatest teacher. We must break free from this cycle, understand the root causes of conflict, and work tirelessly to prevent its recurrence. True wisdom lies not in perpetuating violence but in striving for peace, reconciliation, and the wellbeing of all. It's a lesson that must be learned, not through words alone, but through actions that bring about enduring change.        

• 2.5 Million people dead(1983-2005): The number of deaths resulting from the war between the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the Sudanese government from 1983 to 2005 is widely cited as approximately 2.5 million people. This estimate is primarily based on the research conducted by Millard Burr, a consultant for the U.S. Committee for Refugees. According to his testimony before the U.S. Congress, Burr's initial "working paper" on war-related deaths between 1983 and 1993 was the result of a thorough analysis of efforts to document the patterns of violence in the country. This estimate underscores the scale of the tragedy that occurred during this prolonged conflict, highlighting the urgent need for peace and humanitarian intervention.
• The Pattern: In Sudan, a recurring pattern of mass atrocities unfolds without clear resolutions. The country's prolonged civil wars feature major military campaigns characterized by large-scale killings and war crimes, perpetrated by both regular and irregular forces. Over the past decades, there have been four instances of such campaigns, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians and causing the suffering of hundreds of thousands through displacement, hunger, and disease.
• Triggers: These episodes of mass atrocity have diverse triggers, including fear-driven counter-insurgency, ideological ambitions, and territorial conquest for resource control. However, they share a common thread: the intentional, ethnically-targeted destruction of civilian communities.
• The lack of a definitive resolutions : What makes this pattern even more disconcerting is the absence of clear, definitive conclusions. Rather than coming to an abrupt end, the violence tends to wane as the conflict transforms from a two-sided confrontation to a more fragmented or chaotic state. Sudan's wars seldom culminate in clear-cut victories or durable peace settlements. Instead, they typically lead to political realignments that reconfigure and partially reduce the level of violence.

This perpetual state of uncertainty and insecurity keeps Sudanese citizens under the constant threat of renewed war and mass atrocities. The lack of a definitive resolution underscores the urgent need for sustained international efforts to address the underlying causes and promote lasting peace and stability in the region.

• In 1998, a report by U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) revealed a staggering humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Here are the key takeaways:

1. Death Toll: An estimated 1.9 million people lost their lives during a 15-year period due to the Sudanese civil war and government policies.
2. Civilian Suffering: Over 70,000 Sudanese civilians died in the first half of 1998 alone, and the war's impact on the population was unparalleled.
3. Displacement: More than 80% of southern Sudan's 5 million people were displaced at some point since 1983.
4. Internally Displaced: Sudan had the highest number of internally displaced individuals globally, with around 4 million people affected.
5. Refugees: Nearly 350,000 Sudanese became refugees in neighboring countries.
6. Limited Data: Restricted access to conflict areas made it challenging to gather accurate statistics, especially in the last five years leading up to the report.
7. Nuba Mountains: The report also highlighted the suffering in the Nuba Mountains, where hundreds of thousands perished due to the conflict.

This note serves as a somber reminder of the human toll of conflict and the importance of humanitarian efforts. Let's honor the memory of those affected and work towards a more peaceful world. #SudanCivilWar #HumanitarianCrisis #PeaceBuilding        

Sources:

• based on United Nations OCHA report Posted10 Dec 1998
• World Peace Foundation Sudan: Patterns of violence and imperfect endings” by Alex de Waal in How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from?Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia,?Sudan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Iraq, ed Bridget Conley (Cambridge University Press, 2016).