From the Sahel to Sudan: Genocide, Mass Atrocities, and a World Looking Away

In this commentary, BIPSS Research Assistant Jannatul Toba Jhumu examines the recurring patterns of mass atrocities and international neglect across Sudan and the Sahel. She argues that the persistence of violence is shaped not only by armed groups and state forces, but also by political fragility, ethnic marginalization, climate pressures, external support and competing geopolitical interests. Focusing on Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions and the conflicts in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Toba highlights how repeated early warnings have failed to translate into timely preventive action. She therefore argues that the central challenge is no longer simply identifying the warning signs of mass atrocities, but ensuring that international attention, political commitment and preventive action follow before civilians face another catastrophe.