This week, President Joe Biden presented an interesting take on the ongoing Sudanese crisis. Assuming a somewhat laughable, peace-bringer guise, Biden criticized those he alleges to be at fault for the 17-month long war in Sudan. His statement rather predictably aimed blame at the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
Biden conveyed, ‘For over 17 long months, the Sudanese people have endured a senseless war that has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,’. Interestingly enough, it appears this is a sudden awakening for him because the Sudan conflict has been a major issue for years, not just the last 17 months.
In a move that again, showcases the administration’s remarkable skill at stating the obvious, Biden remarked on the dire situation in the war-torn country, ‘Nearly 10 million people have been displaced by this conflict. Women and girls have been kidnapped and sexually assaulted. Famine has taken hold in Darfur, and is threatening millions more elsewhere.’
In an attempt to highlight the plight of the war victims, Biden focused on the city of El Fasher specifically, noting its horrifying record of attacks and human rights abuses. ‘And today, a violent history is repeating itself,’ Biden said. ‘The city of El Fasher, Darfur – home to nearly two million people and hundreds of thousands of displaced persons – has been under a months-long siege by the Rapid Support Forces. That siege has become a full-on assault in recent days.’
Regrettably, El Fasher, according to reports has been under too regular a target of bombardment from the RSF, this wasn’t news to anyone, bar maybe the President himself. The paramilitary organization supposedly commenced its siege as early as May. The ensuing damage has been nothing short of catastrophic.
This reality left Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to voice her ‘grave concern about reports of a serious escalation in RSF’s months-long siege on El Fasher’. How convenient that this sudden concern aligns perfectly with Biden’s newfound interest.
In keeping with this administration’s tendency to vaguely voice concern but offering little actionable measures, Thomas-Greenfield simply urged ‘the RSF to halt its attack, including bombardments destroying infrastructure and threatening civilian life, and fulfill its commitments to the international community to protect civilians.’
Biden, ever the paragon of unremarkable rhetoric, asked the very groups he blamed for the disaster to prioritize the welfare of people and to permit humanitarian aid into the region. It’s a wonder that he believes his ‘calls’ will have any substantial difference. His pleas for dialogue to conclude the war seem more like pandering than a genuine effort to effect change.
Biden restated, ‘The RSF must stop their assault that is disproportionately harming Sudanese civilians. The SAF must stop indiscriminate bombings that are destroying civilian lives and infrastructure.’ The irony is that sound governance and responsible international relations should have prompted action well ahead of these hollow outcries.
Meanwhile, the president added that, ‘Both parties need to immediately allow unhindered humanitarian access to all areas of Sudan.’ But one must wonder what meaningful actions has his administration taken beyond issuing statements fraught with empty declarations.
In a startling accusation, Biden claimed that the SAF and the RSF have committed war crimes, with the RSF engaging in ‘ethnic cleansing’. Such categorical statements require more than just words. Sanctions have been imposed on these groups, but clearly, Biden’s approach has had little impact thus far.
Testifying to the lackluster approach taken by this administration, Biden stated, ‘The United States stands with the Sudanese people,’. The blatant disconnect between his words and actions is telling. Why now? What makes these statements any more impactful than the countless others that preceded them?
While the U.S. government had signalled their intent to hold actors perpetuating violence accountable, it is hard to overlook the timing of this newfound concern. Is it truly about the Sudanese people or just another self-serving political maneuver?
One might wonder whether Biden is more focused on painting himself as the world’s moral police, rather than implementing effective, measurable action. His statement ends with grand promises of pressing for peace and seeking accountability. However, these promises, mirroring so many others from his administration have been met with growing doubt.
And so, we are left with the reality that while Biden’s rhetoric may have drawn the attention of a global audience, it marks another instance of the leader prioritizing publicity over substantial action. His mere words are hardly a comfort to the millions suffering amidst one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Ultimately, Biden’s statement on Sudan showcases a leader more concerned with managing optics rather than directly confronting and resolving the core issues. The focus now must shift toward substantive action and not platitudes if the cause of peace in Sudan is truly to be advanced.