war - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

Who is fighting in Sudan?

HERE are some facts about Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group which have been fighting each other for a year, devastating their country, reigniting ethnically-targeted killings in Darfur and displacing millions. The factions, uneasy partners in the toppling of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2019 and the overthrow of a civilian-led government in 2021, clashed as they competed to protect their interests in a planned political transition. THE ARMY Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stands at the podium during a ceremony to sign the framework agreement between military rulers and civilian powers in Khartoum, Sudan December 5, 2022.…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Why is Sudan still at war a year on?

NEWS

A conflict in Sudan that erupted a year ago has wreaked havoc across swathes of the country, unleashed waves of ethnic violence in Darfur, driven millions into extreme hunger and created the world's largest displacement crisis. WHAT TRIGGERED THE VIOLENCE? Tensions had been building for months before fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in the capital Khartoum on April 15, 2023. The army and RSF had been in a fragile partnership after toppling a civilian government in an October 2021 coup, a move that derailed a transition from the rule of Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who was…

Jan

2024

By LISA BAERTLEIN

War, weather put ocean shippers on notice for rough seas in 2024

BUSINESS

RECENT hostilities in the Red Sea have thrown global shippers of vital goods for a loop - but it is hardly the only issue big carriers face as 2024 kicks off. Giants like Maersk say the industry, which handles 90% of global trade, faces the possibility of significant disruptions, from ongoing wars to droughts affecting key routes like the Panama Canal. Complex vessel schedules are likely to be knocked out of sync for giant container ships, fuel tankers and other commodity hauliers throughout the year. That will increase delays and raise costs for retailers like Walmart, IKEA and Amazon, as well…

May

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

The supply chain problems created by a war in Sudan go well beyond Sudan. Think global

NEWS

SUDAN, the world's largest producer of gum Arabic, is presently embroiled in intense clashes between the military and the country's main paramilitary force. Over 70% of the world's gum Arabic supply comes from the acacia trees of Sudan. There are few substitutes for this essential sap, used to make fizzy drinks, cosmetics, and candy (particularly chewing gum) the world over. The acacia sap (sometimes referred to as golden tears) is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. "Right now, it's impossible to source additional gum Arabic from rural parts of Sudan because of the turmoil and road blockages," Mohamad Alnoor, who…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

Fighting rages in east Ukraine as Russia reaffirms demands for ending war

WORLD

DAN PELESCHUK and HERBERT VILLARRAGA RUSSIAN forces shelled and bombed towns and cities in eastern and southern Ukraine, a day after Russia's foreign minister said Kyiv must accept Moscow's demands for ending the war or else suffer defeat on the battlefield. Those demands include Ukraine recognising Russia's conquest of a fifth of its territory. Kyiv, armed and supported by the United States and its NATO allies, has vowed to recover all occupied territory and to drive out all Russian soldiers. Britain's defence ministry said in its latest update of the situation in Ukraine that fighting was particularly intense around the…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Ten humanitarian crises and trends to watch in 2021

HUMAN RIGHTS

Fraying deals: Who will keep peace on track? MONOTORING and oversight is important for peacebuilding to succeed, but there may be less money and international bandwidth available as a result of COVID-19 and the global recession. Peace agreements from South Sudan to Colombia to Central African Republic are already faltering; political transitions in Sudan, Mali, and potentially Afghanistan look equally wobbly. While each situation is unique, they all share the need for guarantors to keep what peace there is on track. The African Union is one – but it is cash-strapped and will have its work cut out to deliver on all its…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

In Sudan camp, a Tigray farmer once displaced by famine now shelters from war

NEWS

SEHAM ELORABY and BAZ RATNER ETHIOPIAN farmer Berhan Halie came to Sudan 35 years ago to escape hunger. Now 65 and walking with a stick, he is back again, this time to escape the bullets and bombs of the conflict in Tigray, fleeing from his village as neighbours lay dead on the ground. Berhan and his family spent days walking to the border crossing with Sudan, among more than 45,000 who have fled from fighting between the Ethiopian government and rebellious Tigray forces. After crossing two weeks ago, he was brought by bus to the Um Rakuba camp in Sudan's…