The Shadow of Arab Supremacy: Racism and the (roughly) 5 Million Victims of Sudan's Endless Conflicts

The Shadow of Arab Supremacy: Racism and the (roughly) 5 Million Victims of Sudan's Endless Conflicts

Sudan, Africa's third-largest country, has been scarred by decades of violence rooted in deep-seated ethnic divisions, where Arab identity has been weaponized as a tool of supremacy and exclusion. Since the mid-20th century, conflicts pitting the Arab-dominated north against non-Arab populations in the south and west have claimed roughly 5 million lives, driven by policies of Arabization, racial hierarchies, and genocidal campaigns. This Arab racism—manifested in derogatory slurs like "abd" (slave) for Black Africans, favoritism toward Arab tribes, and state-sponsored militias targeting non-Arabs—has fueled mass killings, famine, and displacement on a staggering scale. While the world often frames these as civil wars or resource disputes, the core is a racist ideology that views non-Arab Sudanese as inferior, justifying their extermination or subjugation.

Between 1955–2005: Over 4 million killed in the First and Second Sudanese Civil Wars, pitting the Muslim, Arab-speaking North against the Christian and animist South. “The most destructive civil conflict since World War II.” — Eric Reeves, 2005

The Early Wars: 1955–2005 and the Erasure of Non-Arab Identities

The First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972) erupted almost immediately after independence, as southern Sudanese—predominantly Christian and animist Black Africans—resisted forced Arabization and marginalization by the Muslim, Arab-speaking north. Government forces and allied Arab groups targeted southern civilians, enforcing a racial hierarchy that deemed Black Africans unworthy of equal rights. Estimates suggest around 500,000 deaths in this phase alone.

The conflict reignited in 1983 as the Second Sudanese Civil War, intensifying the racial divide. Under leaders like Jaafar Nimeiri and later Omar al-Bashir, the regime pursued aggressive Islamization and Arabization, arming Arab militias to crush southern resistance led by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). Famine, engineered through blockades and scorched-earth tactics, killed hundreds of thousands, disproportionately affecting non-Arabs. By 2005, when a peace accord ended the war, the toll from both phases exceeded 4 million deaths—making it one of Africa's deadliest conflicts. Analyst Eric Reeves described it as “the most destructive civil conflict since World War II,” with Arab racism at its core.

Source: Sudan Tribune, 2005 | Archived

Darfur Genocide (2003–): Up to 400,000 killed by government-backed Arab Janjaweed militias using racial slurs like “zurug” and “abd” while burning villages and raping women. “Racism at root of Sudan’s Darfur crisis.”

Post-Secession Violence: 2005–2025 and the Cycle Continues

South Sudan’s independence in 2011 offered brief hope, but internal strife soon erupted. The South Sudan Civil War (2013–2018) killed approximately 400,000, many in ethnic clashes exacerbated by lingering north-south tensions and resource grabs. While not directly Arab-led, the conflict’s roots in decades of racial subjugation contributed to the fragility.

Source: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Current Sudan War (2023–2025): 150,000+ killed, including genocide by the ethnic Arab militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF). U.S. formally declared genocide in January 2025.

The current Sudan war, erupting in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, has reignited Arab racism on a national scale. The RSF, descendants of the Janjaweed, have been accused of genocide in Darfur and beyond, targeting non-Arab communities with ethnic cleansing. By January 2025, the death toll reached 150,000, with the U.S. declaring genocide by the “ethnic Arab militia” RSF. Survivors report RSF fighters hunting down Black Africans, using racist insults, and committing mass rapes and killings.

Source: The New York Times, Jan 7, 2025

As of April 2025, 26 million Sudanese—over half the population—are suffering from acute hunger, with 30.4 million dependent on humanitarian aid amid the world’s first officially declared famine since 2020.

Source: Welthungerhilfe, Apr 15, 2025

A Call for Recognition

Sudan’s 5 million victims—compiled from civil war deaths (over 4 million from 1955–2005), post-secession violence (400,000), and the ongoing war (at least 150,000)—are a testament to unchecked Arab racism. This is not ancient tribalism but a modern ideology of supremacy that demands global accountability. Ignoring it risks spillover into neighboring countries and perpetuates a cycle of genocide. The international community must confront this racism head-on, through sanctions, aid, and justice for survivors.

Notes

• Total victim estimates draw from high-end figures to reflect the scale, including direct deaths and famine-related excess mortality. Discrepancies exist due to underreporting in war zones.
• Emphasis on racism is substantiated by multiple sources documenting anti-Black slurs, state favoritism toward Arabs, and ethnic targeting.
• Sources include academic analyses, news reports, and expert commentaries; death tolls vary, with some like Eric Reeves advocating higher counts to include indirect deaths.
• For Darfur and current war: Focus on RSF/Janjaweed as Arab militias committing genocide against non-Arabs.
• Current data as of November 2025 indicates escalating atrocities, particularly in Darfur’s El Fasher.