…By Larry John for TDPel Media.
Sudan is in chaos as expats struggle to escape the country amid the collapse of the rule of law.
Rebel forces have released inmates from the country’s prisons, allowing “killers and thieves” to run rampant, according to British-born medical student Samar Eltayeb.
Speaking from the house of a relative on the outskirts of Khartoum, Samar compared the situation to the fictional horror movie The Purge, where any crime, including murder, is decriminalized for 12 hours.
She also mentioned that her family home had been hit by bombs, and dozens of other buildings had been destroyed.
The fighting in Sudan is a power struggle between two rival military commanders, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of an independent militia group known as the Rapid Support Forces.
Dagalo, who controls a sizeable chunk of Sudan’s gold trade, had until recently been Burhan’s deputy but now appears to have decided to depose his one-time ally and take complete control of the country.
Hundreds have already died in the fighting, and the situation is a huge humanitarian disaster.
Evacuations are underway to help British nationals leave Sudan, with UK military flights departing from Wadi Saidna Air Base outside Khartoum.
However, many expats have said they haven’t been able to reach the airfield because petrol stations are closed, and fuel is hard to obtain.
Samar said that even getting as far as the capital had been difficult, with main roads closed due to the military presence.
The situation in Sudan highlights the devastating impact of political instability and conflict on ordinary people’s lives.
The collapse of the rule of law has led to widespread violence and lawlessness, putting countless lives at risk.
It is crucial that the international community takes action to address the root causes of the conflict and to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by it.