Key Points
- Violent military clashes erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leading to a massive humanitarian crisis.
- Over 1.4 million people have been displaced, with critical infrastructure like hospitals and food factories destroyed or occupied.
- The current conflict is deeply rooted in the power vacuum and military tensions following the 2019 revolution that ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir.
- Japanese humanitarian organizations, including JICA and JVC, have been active in the region, focusing on long-term stability through education and water access.
Full Transcript (English)
Host: Mr. Sakane, thank you for joining us. You are currently in Khartoum, correct?
Guest (Koji Sakane, JICA Sudan Office Director): Yes, that is correct. From around 9:30 this morning, the sound of gunfire became audible even from indoors. Gun battles began taking place in various parts of the city, and the intensity steadily increased. By shortly after noon, fighter jets started flying overhead.
Host: The fighting has continued for over two months, with mercenaries from various countries flowing into the civil war. The number of displaced people has surged to over 1.4 million. Foreigners who were providing humanitarian aid were also forced to evacuate as the airport was damaged.
Guest (Ai Namiki, UN WFP Sudan Office): When I was preparing to leave for Japan this time, several people said “I’m sorry” to me. Just before I boarded the plane from Port Sudan, I called a Sudanese colleague because I knew I wouldn’t be able to hear their voice for a while. They apologized to me, saying, “I’m sorry the country has ended up like this.”
Host: Hospitals and food factories have been destroyed or occupied, and a serious humanitarian crisis is spreading. What exactly is the RSF, which continues to fight the national army? During the Bashir regime, they were a militia group known as the Janjaweed, responsible for atrocities during the Darfur conflict. They seized gold mining rights as spoils of war, accumulating wealth that became a source of funding. Their leader, Hemedti, even visited Russia to discuss future cooperation just before the invasion of Ukraine.
Host: To understand the current situation, we must look back to December 2018 in Khartoum. Citizens began raising their voices against the 30-year dictatorship of President Bashir. Wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few, the economy was in chaos, and people’s lives were becoming increasingly impoverished. What started as quiet protests quickly spread across the capital, becoming a massive movement. President Bashir deployed the RSF, and the suppression of citizens through violence began. Citizens maintained a strictly peaceful, unarmed protest movement. However, the RSF began the “Khartoum Massacre.” Many young people were sacrificed in the revolution.
Guest (Mother of a victim): My son was unarmed. He did not carry a weapon. His weapon was his words. Freedom, peace, and justice. It was a human demand. A natural demand so that a human could live with dignity. Freedom, peace, and justice—it is a natural right.
Host: In the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan, organizations like the Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) have been providing educational support tailored to the needs of local parents and children. We spoke with a JVC staff member, Komi, in 2019.
Guest (Komi, JVC Staff): We are opening centers for children who are outside the school system. I have met many such children on the way here. Peace is coming soon, and while some people may return to their original homes, others will stay here. Whether they stay or leave, education and history are the most important things.
Guest (Local Teacher): Education is the most important thing, especially here in the Nuba Mountains. War has been repeated here constantly. It is always war. Without education, people just repeat the cycle of conflict. Tribal conflicts also prevent people from learning. But now, thankfully, things are improving.
Guest (Komi, JVC Staff): If we don’t have education, we will just keep repeating the war. That is why education is vital. The Sudanese government provides almost no support for education here, so support from Japan is very helpful.
Host: Access to water is another critical issue. In some areas, children had to travel four kilometers through minefields to fetch water. JVC helped install hand pumps in these communities.
Guest (Local Resident): We are 100% satisfied. It is excellent. Now the water is close to the citizens. We don’t have to ride donkeys far away anymore; it’s right here. We hope you can help us build more in the future.
Guest (Komi, JVC Staff): During the rainy season, they can grow tomatoes, but in the dry season, they couldn’t do any farming before. Now, with the hand pump, they can grow vegetables even in the summer. They are very grateful.
Host: Amidst the conflict, there are also stories of reunion. We witnessed a woman returning to her family home for the first time in nine years after living in an area controlled by anti-government forces. Because of the ceasefire, blockades were lifted, allowing passage. Families who had been torn apart were finally reunited.
