Violence Escalates in Sudan as Civil War Enters Second Year

KQED's Forum

The United Nations on Friday warned of a “dramatic escalation of tensions” among warring parties near El Fasher, North Darfur. The area is already on the brink of famine, according to the UN, and an attack on the city could have devastating consequences for civilians. The crisis in El Fasher comes as Sudan’s calamitous war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces enters its second year. The war has left more than 15,000 people dead and more than 8 million displaced, according to relief agencies. We look at conditions on the ground, the forces that are driving the conflict and how the global community is responding.

Guests:

Beverly Ochieng, senior journalist and Africa analyst, BBC Monitoring

Ali Ali-Dinar, Sudanese scholar and senior lecturer in the department of Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania

Amb. Susan Page, professor of practice in international diplomacy, University of Michigan; former US ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan (2011-2014)

Susan Stigant, director of Africa programs, United States Institute of Peace