Biden and Trump Called It a Genocide and Then Turned Away, tell me about this news in (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/opinion/trump-sudan-genocide.html)
12-09-2026
The piece referenced from The New York Times opinion section examines how both the Biden and Trump administrations acknowledged and labeled the mass atrocities in Sudanspecifically those committed in Darfur and surrounding areas by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)as a genocide, yet failed to follow up that designation with sustained, decisive action to stop the slaughter.The article centers on several key points:
- Rhetorical Recognition vs. Action: Both administrations took the formal step of identifying the targeted ethnic violence, mass killings, and widespread sexual assaults in Sudan as genocide and crimes against humanity. However, the commentary argues that these declarations amounted mostly to empty words, followed by political disengagement and indifference rather than meaningful diplomatic or coercive intervention.
- The Escalating Humanitarian Crisis: The author highlights how international inaction allowed the RSF to advance largely uncheckedfirst devastating regions like El Fasher, and then threatening other major civilian hubs like El Obeid. Famine, displacement of millions, and targeted atrocities have compounded to make Sudan one of the deadliest and most neglected humanitarian catastrophes in the world.
- External Enablers and Geopolitical Double Standards: The piece calls out the role of regional actorsnotably the United Arab Emirateswho have fueled the conflict by arming and supporting the RSF. It criticizes Washington and European capitals for hesitating to use their diplomatic and economic leverage against key regional partners to demand a halt to arms supplies and force genuine peace negotiations.
- Moral and Strategic Failure: The core argument concludes that naming a genocide imposes a clear legal and moral responsibility to act. By calling it what it is and then turning away, the United States and the broader international community have normalized mass atrocities and abandoned millions of civilians to preventable starvation and violence.