Dozens of protesters rallied outside Downing Street on Wednesday, demanding stronger international action to end Sudan’s devastating civil war, now entering its third year with no sign of resolution. The demonstration came as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti claimed control over El-Fasher, the last major army stronghold in Darfur. The capture marks a critical turning point, effectively placing the entire region under RSF control and raising fears of Sudan’s potential disintegration. Protesters waved Sudanese flags and held placards accusing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of arming the RSF, an allegation the UAE has repeatedly denied. Demonstrators urged the UK government and the United Nations to impose sanctions and cut trade ties with nations allegedly fueling the conflict.
“In the last three days alone, hundreds have been killed with Emirati-supplied weapons, and the world remains silent,” said protester Elhussein Yassin, a Sudanese activist based in London. “They have committed genocide in our country and we are here to be the voice of those who can’t speak.” Another demonstrator, Ziyad Kashan, recounted the destruction of Sudan’s capital “entire neighborhoods in Khartoum and Bahri have been wiped out. Homes burned, families displaced. It’s heartbreaking and I can’t even go back to see my own people.”
Since the war erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, more than 40,000 people have been killed and 14 million displaced, according to UN estimates. The conflict has triggered famine-level food shortages, widespread sexual violence, and the collapse of basic healthcare. Aid groups warn that Sudan now faces the world’s largest displacement crisis and one of its worst humanitarian catastrophes. Both warring sides have been accused of war crimes and ethnic cleansing, particularly in Darfur, where atrocities echo the horrors of the 2003 genocide. Despite repeated calls for a ceasefire, peace talks remain stalled. Protesters in London vowed to continue weekly demonstrations until the international community takes concrete steps to end the bloodshed.
