A Sudanese journalist has revealed the devastating human toll of the ongoing war in Sudan, describing how he received three years’ worth of messages at once after finally regaining phone access following a prolonged communications blackout.
Mohamed Suleiman, who had been trapped in the besieged city of El Fasher, said his phone remained silent throughout most of the conflict, which began in April 2023 after a violent power struggle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
After reaching Port Sudan in January, Suleiman inserted a SIM card and was overwhelmed as his device flooded with years of missed calls and messages—many from friends and colleagues who had assumed he was dead.
The war, now entering its fourth year, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Fighting that began in Khartoum quickly spread nationwide, with the western region of Darfur experiencing some of the most intense violence.
Suleiman described life under siege in El Fasher as suffocating, with civilians cut off from communication and unable to call for help amid relentless bombardments and shortages of food, water, and medical care. He recounted scenes of extreme suffering as people attempted to flee the city during its fall to RSF forces, with many unable to assist the wounded due to the scale of the crisis.
The communications blackout not only isolated residents but also prevented journalists from documenting events. Suleiman said attempting to report the truth carried deadly risks, as both sides of the conflict suspected journalists of espionage or collaboration.
The conflict has displaced millions of people, forcing many to flee their homes across Darfur and beyond. Humanitarian agencies have warned of famine conditions in some areas, while diplomatic efforts led by the United States have so far failed to secure a ceasefire.
Despite international awareness, Suleiman believes the full scale of the atrocities remains largely unseen by the outside world due to limited access and reporting restrictions.
As the war drags on, his account underscores the severe impact of isolation in conflict zones, where the absence of communication can be as life-threatening as the violence itself.
