The conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo are taking a back seat amid the current focus on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. It’s truly disheartening because countries like the UK have the potential to play a vital role in brokering peace in these regions.

While the situations in Gaza and Ukraine are undeniably devastating, it’s concerning that we seem to be neglecting our responsibilities as influential members of the G7 and the UN Security Council. These are nations where millions face violence and displacement.

In just five years, Sudan — a country blessed with diverse landscapes of astounding beauty — has undergone a turbulent transformation from a dictatorship to a society wrecked by civil war, via revolution and a coup. It was in April last year that this devastating war broke out — how many people were aware of it before reading that sentence?

There exists a deep bond between the Somalis and Sudanese (peoples who are often mistaken for one another) — as if we see reflections of ourselves in each other. I have always said I can look at a Sudanese granny and see my own. It is a country I got to know more in 2020 when, with the help of the then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, The Five Foundation helped to pass anti-FGM legislation which was meant to be the start of a new era for many women and girls.

Reminding the UK and others that inaction will lead to mass migration might just be the way to make them care

So. maybe because of the kinship, common features and a shared belief in making a better world for our women and girls, when I see the plight of those suffering in Sudan it evokes memories of the struggles my family and I endured in Somaliland three decades ago. Maybe that’s why the world’s silence on their suffering hits especially close to home. And maybe that’s why I am tearing up as I write this.

After nearly 10 months of conflict between the two egotistical generals who lead the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), there are now eight million people displaced and in dire need of help. It is imperative that we raise awareness and hold the UK and other parties accountable for their failures in allowing the continuation of this conflict — as well as exacerbating the situation i

n the DRC, where nearly seven million have been displaced by the threat of violence (among other things).