ARNA Solidarity with Sudanese Peasants Amidst Civil War
ARNA Solidarity Statement With the peasants of Sudan and all agricultural workers amidst the current suffering due to the civil war in Sudan
LVC – Arab Region and North Africa – announces its full solidarity with the peasants and agricultural workers in the Gezira and Managil project, Sudan. Since the outbreak of the war on April 15, 2023, Sudan has been suffering from widespread destruction and mass displacement. The ongoing war has resulted in the deaths and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Sudanese, turning their lives into a hell of poverty and hunger.
The Gezira and Managil project, considered the backbone of the Sudanese economy, are now under threat due to this devastating war.The Gezira Project is one of the largest agricultural projects in the world, irrigating millions of acres and providing services to over 4.5 million people. Women make up 35% of the peasants and perform more than 80% of the agricultural work. This project, which contributes over 65% of Sudan’s national income, is unable to fulfill its role due to ongoing destruction and looting.The current war is not merely a transient conflict but part of a long-term strategy aimed at displacing populations and seizing their lands. Since the war began, large areas of the Gezira project have been displaced, and their properties have been subjected to looting and destruction.
We, at La Via Campesina-Arab Region and North Africa, affirm that what is happening in Sudan is a crime against humanity aimed at destroying the agricultural economy and forcibly displacing farmers. We call on the international community and humanitarian organizations to take immediate action to stop these massacres and protect the Sudanese people from the dangers of famine and poverty.
Furthermore, we emphasize the need to respect Sudan’s sovereignty and not to intervene externally to support one side over the other. International pressure should be focused solely on ending the war immediately, without taking sides.On behalf of the Gezira and Managil Farmers’ Alliance, we declare our solidarity with the Sudanese people and all peasants and agricultural workers in the Gezira and Managil project and all parts of Sudan.
We demand the following:
- Immediate cessation of the war and ending of violence
- Provision of urgent support and relief to peasants and agricultural workers
- Protection of human rights and securing the return of displaced persons to their lands
- Respect for Sudan’s sovereignty and avoidance of external interference in support of any warring party, and efforts to press for an immediate end to the war.
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