Before the advent of social media, the internet, and even television, radio was the main means of informing a nation. Especially in emergencies, especially during wars, citizens relied on their frequencies to get updates on what was going on. During World War II, Radio London played an important role in our country by sending messages from the Allies to Italy, which was resisting the Nazi occupation. And today in civil war-torn Sudan, the radio has become surprisingly necessary to keep citizens informed about what is going on in their country.
The BBC’s Arab editorial team has launched an emergency radio service for Sudan that will broadcast twice a day for three months, providing news and information to the African nation’s population. The UK public channel said it will feature eyewitness testimonies and news of the diplomatic effort, helping to combat disinformation. BBC CEO Tim Davie said the move was “very important in a time of great uncertainty”. The program will be broadcast live from London, with contributions and analysis from teams in Amman, Jordan and Egypt’s capital Cairo. It will be available on shortwave radio in Sudan and online where listeners can get information on how to access essential materials and services. “World Service provides an important lifeline for many people around the world who have little access to accurate news and information,” Davie said. “The situation in Sudan has deteriorated rapidly and citizens are seeking open and independent information and advice in times of critical need,” said World Service director Liliane Landor.
The clashes that broke out in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and other parts of the country on April 15 are the direct result of a fierce power struggle within the country’s military leadership. Clashes take place between the regular army and a paramilitary force called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It is a struggle based on sibling massacre led by two leaders, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander of the regular army, who heads the government council that rules the country, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, the leader of the FSR. Who was his deputy? The conflict has its roots in the “divide and rule” strategy pursued by veteran Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who came to power in 1989. The FSRs came from the feared Janjaweed militias accused of genocide in Darfur and acted as a counterweight. To the regular army, whose loyalty Bashir doubts.
However, relations between them remained strained, even as the two forces united to overthrow Bashir in 2019 after months of mass public protests. Both sides are fighting for control of their territory in the capital ahead of final negotiations, but the leaders of both groups have shown little willingness to resume public negotiations after more than two weeks of fighting. 550 people have died and 4926 people have been injured in the conflicts so far. According to the United Nations, about 100,000 people fled Sudan to neighboring countries with little food and water.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
