N’DJAMENA: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States envoy to the United Nations, arrived in Chad to bear witness to the plight of Sudanese refugees escaping ethnic and sexual violence in Darfur, which she described as hauntingly reminiscent of atrocities two decades ago, declared a genocide by Washington.

Thomas-Greenfield, a member of President Joe Biden's cabinet, embarked on a visit to Chad's border with Darfur, western Sudan, where she aims to draw attention to the escalating conflict and mounting humanitarian emergency.

The Sudan conflict erupted on April 15, four years after the ousting of former President Omar Al-Bashir due to a popular uprising. It stems from tensions between the army (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which jointly staged a coup in 2021, amid disputes over transitioning to civilian rule.

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"We certainly have reached a level of serious atrocities being committed, and it is very reminiscent of what we saw happening in 2004 that led to the genocide determination," said Thomas-Greenfield before arriving in Chad.

"We're hearing from women who are being brutally gang-raped over and over again, villages being raided, there are aerial photos showing mass graves. Signs are there," she said.

In the early 2000s, the UN estimated that around 300,000 people lost their lives in Darfur when "Janjaweed" militias, which later formed the RSF, collaborated with the army to suppress a rebellion led by primarily non-Arab groups. Sudanese leaders are currently wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity.

"Once again, Darfur is descending into an abyss without mercy or hope," stated UN aid chief Martin Griffiths. "Civilians have been trapped, targeted, raped, and murdered. It is unlawful and outrageous."

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Thomas-Greenfield's visit to Chad's Darfur border is reminiscent of her 2004 visit as a senior State Department official, the same year when Washington declared the violence there as genocide.

Since the outset of the Sudan war in April, the United Nations reports that around 380,000 refugees, predominantly women and children, have sought refuge in Chad. Hundreds of thousands more have fled to Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has issued a plea for $1 billion to provide aid and protection to over 1.8 million people expected to escape Sudan this year. Inside Sudan, nearly 7.1 million people are displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Griffiths emphasized that those who managed to escape the violence in Sudan now face the grim threat of starvation. He revealed that "more than 60 percent of people in West Darfur are highly food insecure, as is over half the population in East and South Darfur."

Despite the UN's efforts to deliver aid from Chad into West Darfur and have aid trucks ready for other regions, "unrelenting clashes" have hampered access to the people in need.

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The fighting across Sudan has generated a "humanitarian catastrophe," as outlined by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a report to the Security Council. He cautioned that the escalating ethnic tensions and ethnically motivated attacks could potentially ignite a full-blown civil war, with catastrophic consequences for the Sudanese people and the wider region. 

In Sudan, half of the country's 49 million citizens require assistance, prompting a UN appeal for $2.6 billion. However, only 26 percent of this amount has been secured thus far. The United States leads as the top donor, followed by the European Commission, Germany, and Canada.

As the conflict continues to unfold in Sudan, Thomas-Greenfield's visit underscores the urgency of the situation and the pressing need for international attention, support, and intervention to avert a humanitarian disaster of profound proportions.