Urgent Appeal to Save the Revolution and the Sudanese People

Solidarity Statement Issued by La Via Campesina on the Current Crisis in Sudan

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22 May 2024, Bagnolet: In the context of the worsening humanitarian and political crisis in Sudan since the outbreak of the absurd war on April 15, 2023, the La Via Campesina movement expresses its total solidarity with the Sudanese people in their heroic struggle for freedom, peace, and justice. Sudan, which gained independence in 1956 after decades of struggle against British colonialism, has since faced many challenges, including internal conflicts, dictatorial regimes, and endemic corruption.

In 2019, the Sudanese people rose up against the regime of President Omar al-Bashir in a peaceful revolution known as the “December Revolution.” The revolution succeeded in overthrowing al-Bashir after great sacrifice, but was unable to achieve the desired change, with the country still suffering from political and economic instability. This revolution was the direct result of decades of deprivation and repression suffered by the Sudanese people, especially young people facing high unemployment, and in particular peasants, who represent over 61% of the country’s workforce. The latter have been ill-treated by the political orientation of successive governments, serving the interests of investors and agents of multinationals, and executing the land privatization diktats of the World Bank.

The Sudanese people, especially the young, have suffered from widespread corruption in all sectors of the state, as well as decades of military rule, repressing fundamental freedoms and preventing the people from exercising their democratic rights. This situation has given rise to a general feeling of frustration and despair, prompting all sections of society, particularly young people, to take to the streets to demand real change and radical reform.

This period raised high expectations for the establishment of a civilian government capable of fulfilling the aspirations of the Sudanese people, including those of peasants who formed committees to reclaim public assets, such as agricultural projects and land, so that they would become common property and no longer under the control of a ruling elite. However, military forces continued to dominate the workings of the state. Instead of the transition to a civilian, democratic government, internal conflicts and political tensions persisted, seeking to serve their interests linked to global and regional powers.

On April 15, 2023, a bloody civil war broke out in Sudan after negotiations between the Transitional Military Council and opposition forces failed. The war unfolded between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, turning into a power struggle between these two factions, which led to severe insecurity and serious human rights violations.

The political situation has become more complicated, internal divisions in Sudan have deepened, and the war has been prolonged, with regional and international powers playing a role in exacerbating the conflict to serve their interests by intervening directly and supporting one side at the expense of the other. Some sources accuse foreign actors, such as the United States and the European Union, of seeking to weaken Sudan and divide its resources. These accusations suggest that these powers are supporting the warring factions to achieve their own geopolitical objectives.

This war has resulted in an appalling humanitarian tragedy, costing the lives of over twenty thousand people, injuring another fifty thousand, and displacing over 8.5 million from their homes. In addition, the war has led to the almost total destruction of infrastructure, the looting of markets and farms, and the disruption of livelihoods, catastrophically worsening living conditions.

Today, Sudan is suffering from a severe humanitarian crisis, characterized by severe shortages of food, water, and medicines, as well as deteriorating health services and a lack of security. More than 24.7 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, including 14 million children. Hospitals are operating below capacity, if not at a complete standstill, and food security is in a state of emergency.

La Via Campesina strongly condemns this absurd war, financed and supported by regional forces serving their narrow interests, as part of an imperialist plan to weaken Sudan and derail its revolutionary process. These forces are targeting the country’s economic resources, including agricultural land and vital projects such as Al Jazeera and Al-Managil, which form the backbone of Sudan’s agricultural economy.

We see this war as nothing more than a continuation of the neoliberal policies imposed by the imperialist powers since 1989, which have led to the privatization of the public sector and the destruction of the country’s agricultural and industrial infrastructure. These policies have impoverished farmers and agricultural workers, pushing them to the brink, where their land has been confiscated and their crops seized.

La Via Campesina affirms that the only solution to the Sudanese crisis lies in:

• An immediate end to the war and a halt to the foreign interventions fueling the conflict.
• The release of all political prisoners and resistance committee leaders.
• The creation of a civilian government representing the will of the Sudanese people and expressing their aspirations.
• The completion of a permanent constitution reflecting the aspirations of the Sudanese people and guaranteeing citizens’ rights and social justice.

We call on all progressive and free forces around the world to stand in solidarity with the Sudanese people in their struggle. It is essential to pressure the regimes that support the war to end it, and to support efforts for a peaceful political solution to restore stability to Sudan and ensure a safe and dignified life for all its citizens.

The struggle of the Sudanese people is a struggle for freedom, dignity, and justice, and it concerns the whole of humanity. Today, the Sudanese people are showing their resilience and determination, and it is crucial that we stand by them at this critical time.

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