As the civil war enters its second year, Sudan’s two warring factions remain locked in a deadly power struggle. Since the conflict began on April 15, 2023, almost 15,000 people have been killed, and more than 8.2 million have been displaced, giving rise to the worst displacement crisis in the world. Nearly 2 million displaced Sudanese have fled to unstable areas in Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, overrunning refugee camps and prompting concerns that Sudanese refugees could soon attempt to enter Europe. The UN continues to plead for more support as more than 25 million need humanitarian assistance, and deteriorating food security risks are triggering the “world’s largest hunger crisis.” Meanwhile, mediation efforts have failed to produce results as the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) refuse to halt their violence, and regional and international actors have taken sides in the war. As conditions further deteriorate, the World Food Programme’s Carl Skau warned, “we are running out of time” (Source: Center for Preventive Action, Council on Foreign Relations). 

Join Oxford University International Relations Society and Dr Matthew Sterling Benson (LSE) for a discussion on the impact of British-led colonialism on the two Sudans. Dr Benson is a social and economic historian of Africa in the Conflict & Civicness Research Group (CCRG) at the London School of Economics and Political Science researching changing global conflict and peace dynamics. He is a Research Fellow within the CCRG and the Sudans Research Director, leading research in both Sudans. Dr Benson's research and publications examine how revenue raising practices in Sudan and South Sudan from the start of British-led colonial occupation, into rebel-rule, through to the present contributed to states that work better for a minority in power rather than most people in either country. Additionally, Dr Benson is the Editorial Director for Boy Brother Friend, a print publication and digital platform examining the Black Atlantic and other diasporas through contemporary art, fashion, and theory.

Event time: 2 December (Monday W8), 7 - 8:30 pm

Location: Massey Room, Balliol College (Broad Street)

Organized by Oxford University International Relations Society, this event is open to all members of the University. YOU MUST REGISTER BEFOREHAND IN ORDER TO ATTEND THIS EVENT. SEE BUTTON BELOW.

Please contact exec.committee@oxirsoc.com should you have any questions on our membership or events.