Tag: africa

Anders F. Breidlid (Professor, OsloMet) 8. okt.

This is op ed was first published in Norwegian language in the newspaper Klassekapen. https://klassekampen.no/artikkel/2025-10-08/et-lys-i-morket/ZKn2 The English version was translated by DeepL.

The civil war in Sudan is described as one of the most serious and least publicised crises of our time. In June this year, UN special rapporteurs described the situation as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and warned of a very high risk of genocide.

The civil war that began in April 2023 between government forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary group (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has caused widespread destruction and suffering. 150,000 people have lost their lives since the civil war in Sudan broke out, and 13 million people are displaced. Health services have collapsed, and many people do not have sufficient access to food and clean water. On the ground, aid efforts are hampered by unsafe conditions and difficult logistics.

The international community has largely turned a blind eye to the conflict, although some attempts at peace mediation have been made by the UN, the AU and neighbouring countries, without leading to any breakthrough. At the same time, several countries are secretly exploiting the situation and taking advantage of the bloody civil war in their own interests: the struggle for important minerals such as gold.

In the midst of this tragic situation, a remarkable local aid organisation has emerged that is saving lives and giving hope: Emergency Response Rooms, known as ERR.

This is a wide-ranging network of volunteers and health workers spread across large parts of Sudan. The network mobilises local communities and builds on the traditional Sudanese practice of “nafeer”, where people come together to help each other in times of crisis. This practice has become vital in the face of the warring parties’ inability and unwillingness to assist the population. Complex challenges such as emergency medicine, transporting the wounded and dead, delivering clean water, preventing sexual violence and documenting human rights violations are at the core of ERR’s work. In addition, volunteers in the ERR network have established schools offering formal education based on the national curriculum for children in conflict areas, as well as mental health, arts, sports and cultural awareness programmes. In several areas, ERR is the only lifeline for civilians who often live under constant threat.

‘Cannot be negotiated in meeting rooms alone’

The conflict in Sudan has a complex background. After Omar al-Bashir’s fall in 2019, disagreement grew over how paramilitary forces should be incorporated into the country’s national security apparatus. This disagreement developed into a bloody power struggle between the leadership of the armed forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group (RSF). Not least, the struggle for natural resources was central. The RSF controls important resources, particularly the gold mines in Darfur, which have become an important source of income. The SAF controls state-owned companies and key sectors such as agriculture and mining (except in areas controlled by the RSF) as well as the oil and gas sector. The fighting has particularly affected the areas around the capital Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan and Eastern Sudan. Virtually all basic living conditions have deteriorated, and cholera and malaria are spreading in the devastated areas.

Sudan is also one of the countries in the world hardest hit by climate change. Drought, desertification and irregular rainfall have caused competition for grazing land and water resources to reach critical levels. This exacerbates the conflict and creates new tensions.

Several paramilitary groups and regular forces have been recruited along ethnic lines. Many minority groups, particularly in Darfur, are subjected to gross and systematic abuses, including murder, sexual violence, torture and displacement. These actions create deep wounds and cement mistrust between population groups, making future reconciliation and peacebuilding difficult.

In this situation, Emergency Response Rooms show what a difference local action can make. Their work has attracted international attention. ERR received the Raft Prize in 2025 and has now been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The nomination is not only a recognition of ERR’s humanitarian efforts, but also a signal that future peace and stability in Sudan must also be based on the local community’s ability to build resilience and restore trust.

Sudan is a country where several crises overlap and reinforce each other: political power struggles, economic inequality, competition for resources, climate crisis and ethnic divisions. There are no quick or easy solutions, but lasting peace cannot be achieved without local actors such as Emergency Response Rooms. ERR’s efforts are a light in the darkness and a reminder that peace cannot only be negotiated in meeting rooms far from conflict zones. It is largely thanks to the local work of ERR that there is still a glimmer of hope in this terrible conflict. The international community should focus its attention and resources on such civilian aid organisations operating in areas where the state is often absent. Support for local initiatives cannot replace necessary political solutions and international diplomacy, but they are a critical prerequisite for meeting humanitarian needs and establishing peace in the long term. It is only through such a balanced approach that it is realistic to create lasting improvements in a situation characterised by conflict and hardship.

The crisis in Sudan will not disappear on its own, but increased international attention and resources for grassroots movements such as ERR could be an important step in the right direction. A Nobel Peace Prize would help to keep hope alive.