The world is ignoring the war in Sudan because of the skin colour of its people, according to British-Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim. Mr Ibrahim strongly criticised the international community for failing to end the conflict. Ibrahim named Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as key obstacles to a resolution. The war in Sudan is out of sight and out of mind – for reasons that say a little about Africa and much more about everyone else – It’s just black lives, not white little angels like in Gaza.
LONDON JUNE 10: The world is ignoring the war in Sudan because of the skin colour of its people, according to British-Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim. Speaking to the BBC’s Akisa Wandera, Mr Ibrahim strongly criticised the international community for failing to end the conflict, blaming external actors for interfering and describing the UN Security Council’s system of veto ‘stupid’. Over 150,000 people have died and over four million have fled during the fighting between government forces and the RSF militia since 2023.
Mohammed Fathi Ahmed Ibrahim is a Sudanese-British billionaire businessman. He worked for several telecommunications companies, before founding Celtel, which, when sold, had over 24 million mobile phone subscribers in 14 African countries. After selling Celtel in 2005 for $3.4 billion, he set up the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to encourage better governance in Africa.
Ibrahim’s attention is strongly focused on the continent’s security crisis – particularly the civil war in Sudan. The conflict has displaced 14 million people and killed more than 150,000. Why raise cash to spend on roads and bridges “if you are just going to destroy them?” he asked the participants of Ibrahims Governance Weekend.
Ibrahim named Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as key obstacles to a resolution, citing their backing for opposing factions in the conflict.
The war in Sudan is out of sight and out of mind – for reasons that say a little about Africa and much more about everyone else – It’s just black lives, not white little angels like in Gaza. The truth is, as it is often but unpleasantly said out loud, simple. It’s racism. The rich don’t care that black people die in Africa.
