FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jonathan Hutson, [email protected]
Mobile: +1-202-386-1618
WASHINGTON – The Enough Project condemns the Government of Sudan for attacking the border state of Blue Nile.
"Blue Nile is the third region that the Khartoum regime has attacked in the last six months, after Abyei and the Nuba Mountains,” said John Prendergast, Co-Founder of the Enough Project. “Any form of dissent is being crushed through artillery and aerial bombardment. Sudan may not be as dramatic as Syria or Libya because no cameras are allowed, but it is much more deadly. Given the scale of the emergency, the international response has been non-existent."
Reliable sources on the ground in Blue Nile told the Enough Project that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) began attacking the state capital of Damazin late last night, including the official residence of Governor Malik Agar, and have now reportedly moved into the area of Kurmuk as well. Heavy fighting in the state has been accompanied by aerial bombardments and massive civilian displacement, as well as an evacuation of the remaining United Nations staff.
The fighting in Blue Nile comes immediately on the heels of a unilateral government ceasefire announcement in South Kordofan, another border state where SAF has been engaged in hostilities since June. As Enough reported last week, the ceasefire was broken within 48 hours by the government in Khartoum.
"The failure of the international community to confront the Khartoum government over recent attacks has only served to embolden the regime to continue dealing with its internal political problems with force," said Enough Project Executive Director John C. Bradshaw.
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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit https://enoughproject.org/.