African governments focus energy on global issues while failing to address urgent crises on their own continent
By Kenneth Mokgatlhe wa Kgwadi
The lack of response to the 1994 Rwandan genocide by the international community continues to be scrutinized. In April 1994, an estimated 800,000 Tutsis – members of the minority ethnic group in Rwanda – were slaughtered by the majority Hutu ethnic group. At the same time, the world seemed to pay more attention to the FIFA World Cup, hosted in Brazil, and the historic democratic elections in South Africa, which marked its gaining freedom from apartheid. The global community’s failure to intervene in this horrific genocide remains one of the most tragic examples of international indifference.
Sadly, we are witnessing a similar scenario today in Sudan, where an ongoing genocide is being largely ignored by African governments and multilateral organizations. In Sudan, Arab militias have been systematically targeting black African populations, engaging in mass killings, rapes, and other brutal atrocities. Despite the scale of this crisis, Africa’s political leadership has remained largely silent, while the international community – particularly the United States under the Biden administration – has voiced its concern. The contrast between Africa’s response to this genocide and its responses to other international conflicts, such as the Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war, reveals a troubling pattern:
African governments often focus their energies on global issues while failing to address urgent crises on their own continent.
This lack of action by African leaders is nothing new. African governments have consistently failed to take meaningful steps to address human rights violations and protect their own citizens from violent conflict. For example, the silence surrounding the ongoing violence in Sudan echoes the indifference seen during previous crises in Africa, such as in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, where deteriorating political conditions have forced many people to flee their countries in search of safety. In both of these countries, instability has led to widespread human suffering, but the African Union (AU) and other regional bodies have done little to intervene.
It is worth noting that international media and Western democracies have been vocal in their condemnation of the Sudanese crisis. However, Africa’s political leadership has largely remained passive, continuing to focus on external conflicts and geopolitical issues rather than on the well-being of their own citizens. This is particularly evident in the way African leaders have responded to the Israel-Hamas conflict. In recent years, South Africa has been outspoken in its criticism of Israel, often siding with Hamas in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, South Africa and other African countries have shown support for Russia in its war against Ukraine, likely due to their alliance within the BRICS framework.
While it is important for African nations to have their voices heard on global issues, it is equally crucial that African governments prioritize the security, stability, and welfare of their own people. When African nations are embroiled in violent conflict, as we see in Sudan, these crises not only cause untold human suffering but also have far-reaching consequences for the region and the world. As the global economy becomes increasingly interconnected, the instability in one country can ripple across borders, affecting neighboring countries and even distant regions. The situation in Sudan is a clear reminder that Africa cannot afford to ignore the plight of its own people while focusing solely on conflicts far from its borders.
In countries like Nigeria and Mozambique, we are witnessing the rise of extremist terrorism, which threatens the security of millions of people. In northern Mozambique, for instance, extremist groups like al-Shabaab have carried out brutal attacks, killing thousands and displacing hundreds of thousands more. Similarly, in Nigeria, the extremist group Boko Haram continues to wreak havoc, killing civilians, kidnapping children, and destabilizing entire regions. These crises have drawn some attention from international organizations, but there has been a glaring lack of concerted, effective action by African governments and regional bodies like the African Union to curb the spread of extremism and address the root causes of instability.
One of the reasons for this inaction is the political and economic influence exerted by foreign powers, particularly Western countries. Many African governments receive significant financial aid, military support, and diplomatic backing from countries like the United States, China, and former colonial powers. This assistance often comes with strings attached, with African leaders prioritizing the interests of foreign powers over the welfare of their own citizens. This dynamic has created a system where African governments are more focused on securing international aid and approval than on addressing the urgent needs of their own people.
At the same time, there is a disturbing trend of African countries ignoring the plight of their own people in favor of engaging in foreign conflicts. Many African leaders have shown more interest in aligning themselves with international powers like the United States, Russia, and China than in standing up for the rights and safety of their own citizens. The situation in Sudan is a glaring example of this. While African leaders continue to focus on issues like the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, the people of Sudan are being killed, raped, and displaced by the tens of thousands. The genocide unfolding in Sudan is a tragedy that deserves the world’s attention, but the silence from African governments is deafening.
It is essential for Africa to recognize that its own problems are just as pressing as those in other parts of the world. As the saying goes, “charity begins at home.” If African governments truly want to make a meaningful impact on the world stage, they must first ensure that their own countries are stable, secure, and just. Only then can they begin to contribute effectively to global peace and security. The inaction in respect of Sudan and other African countries serves as a powerful reminder that African governments must prioritize the needs of their people above all else.
I recently had the opportunity to meet a Sudanese refugee who had fled his home country due to the violence. He shared with me the despair and hopelessness he felt, knowing that he may never be able to return to his homeland. His plan was to move to Kenya, where most of his family members had already sought refuge. Despite the dire circumstances, he held on to a flicker of hope – hope that one day the world would take action to end the ongoing crisis and allow displaced Sudanese people to return home. His story is one of many, and it underscores the urgency of addressing the genocide in Sudan and the broader security challenges facing Africa.
The crisis in Sudan is not just a political or military issue – it is a moral one. It is about human lives, about the dignity and safety of individuals who are being slaughtered because of their ethnicity and social group. In Sudan, the victims are predominantly non-Arab Africans, who are being tortured, raped, mutilated, and subjected to inhumane violence. Their homes are being destroyed, their communities razed to the ground, and their lives wiped out in what can only be described as a systematic, racially motivated genocide.
It is deeply disappointing that the same moral outrage that is often directed at conflicts involving Israel, Western democracies, or other international powers is not being extended to the people of Sudan. In fact, the response to the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, which saw the killing of several black Africans caught in the crossfire, was met with far more outcry than the ongoing genocide in Sudan. This hypocrisy highlights the need for Africans to adopt the principles behind the #BlackLivesMatter movement – not just in the United States, but also in Africa, where black lives are under threat from their own leaders and from armed militias.
We cannot claim to care about the lives of black people around the world if we are complicit in the mass killings and suffering of black Africans in our own countries. Whether in Sudan, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the DRC, or Burundi, the lives of black Africans must matter – both to the people themselves and to the governments who are meant to protect them.
The African Union (AU) and other regional bodies must take responsibility for these crises and act decisively to end the bloodshed in Sudan and other conflict-ridden African countries. It is time for Africa to turn its eyes toward the real genocide in Sudan and to take a stand against the violence that is plaguing the continent.
The time for inaction is over. African leaders must rise above international political posturing and take the necessary steps to protect their own people. Only then will Africa be able to heal, to thrive, and to show the world what true leadership looks like.
About the writer:
Kenneth Mokgatlhe wa Kgwadi is an independent writer, political analyst and researcher. He is doing his MA in African Studies at the Israeli-based Ben Gurion University of the Negev.