MAJOR REPORT – At the heart of the nightmare of the Sudanese plunged into a murderous lock-up

The landscapes of Khartoum, the capital, are unrecognizable. For twenty-one months, Sudan has been plunged into a civil war fueled by deadly clashes between the government army and the Rapid Support Forces, paramilitary militias accused of committing massacres and war crimes. Their goal: to regain power from General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the junta which currently rules the country. Behind the front line, the humanitarian crisis is blatant and civilians lack everything: water, food, secure shelter…

A ghost zone

In Bahri, a devastated neighborhood north of Khartoum, all the houses are abandoned, as shown in the report, to be found at the top of this article, by TF1 journalists Michel Scott and Fabrice Amzel. Few residents, like ghosts, continue to live in the area, trying to survive in the rubble. Although the official army managed to recover territories and regain the advantage this fall, the fighting did not stop: “The whole area is dangerous, that's why you don't see anyone here anymore. The residents have fled, the enemies can infiltrate at any time. There are Sudanese among them, but also many foreigners, mercenaries from other countries They respect nothing, they behave haphazardly, with cruelty.explains a loyalist soldier at the microphone of TF1.

To escape the artillery exchanges, 11 million Sudanese left their homes, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Now, most of them live in camps, in tents, in the middle of desert areas. “We are cold at night, we sleep outside”testifies a mother in front of our camera. “Where we come from, there are many, many deaths. Even fleeing was difficult. The rebels were machine-gunning people in their cars.”says a distraught man. “This is not a war against the national army or the government, it is a war against the Sudanese people”he concludes.

Supply points are rare, but essential in a country where Unicef (new window) talks about “unprecedented food disaster”. While the needs are enormous, portions of soup and wheat are rationed. Everyone queues up, not even daring to say how hungry they are. The United Nations World Food Program distributes food once a month. But they are actually intended for community canteens: “Those who receive this food sell it to me. I buy it from them to help them, because they need money. Then these people come here to eat for free”details Ibrahim, who coordinates the distribution.

Overloaded hospitals

Most health facilities have been destroyed by the bombings, but the hospital in Omdurman, the country's largest city located opposite Khartoum, continues to operate. All services are overwhelmed: “And still, it's nothing today, admits the director. The patients we have are non-combatants, peaceful people who asked for nothing.” The injured are often in serious condition: a 14-year-old teenager is in a coma following an explosion, his neighbor was shot in the abdomen.

“Apart from the direct victims of the war, there are all those who are affected because they cannot reach hospitals like ours, those who suffer from chronic illnesses, and then those who the militias completely prevent from traveling to receive care”lists the director.

The death toll from the civil war is estimated at more than 150,000. But the prospect of a ceasefire seems non-existent and the international community appears incapable of imposing itself to resolve this conflict. The only solution for the Sudanese to finally return to normal life.