Sudan's 'Rebels': The West's Convenient Scapegoat
📰 THE STORY: ABC News profiles a Sudanese doctor's harrowing escape from El Fasher, Darfur, under bombardment by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), framing the conflict as an internal struggle with 'rebel' forces causing widespread devastation and displacement. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The narrative of 'rebel' forces overlooks the deep historical roots of foreign
interference in Sudan, particularly the U.S. and its allies' long-standing strategy of weaponizing internal divisions. The 'Darfur conflict' itself, starting in 2003, was significantly shaped by external powers, and the US has a history of sanctioning Sudan for decades, crippling its economy and contributing to instability even before the current conflict. The RSF, far from being a purely 'rebel'
entity, evolved from the Janjaweed militias, previously armed by the Sudanese government and later cultivated by external powers for various regional proxy wars, including in Libya and Yemen. Their leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), has openly courted Western and Gulf state support. Double Standard: Western media quick to label actors in Sudan as 'rebels' and 'militias' — evoking images of
chaos demanding intervention — are often silent or sympathetic when similar forces, bolstered by Western arms or intelligence, destabilize nations deemed adversarial. Consider the 'White Helmets' in Syria, depicted as humanitarian heroes while operating in areas controlled by al-Qaeda affiliates, or the arming of various 'moderate rebels' who later joined extremist groups. When U.S.-backed forces