Athletes Declare Full Solidarity with Victims of the El Fasher Massacre| Sudanow Magazine

Port Sudan (Sudanow Magazine) When Ousmane Dembélé posted the hashtag "#ElFasherIsBleeding" accompanied by a black image as a sign of mourning, a move that garnered widespread interaction from his fans and followers who expressed their solidarity with the Sudanese people and praised his humanitarian stance, was this expression motivated by his reaction to the image of the young boy killed by the Rapid Support Forces militias, wearing a jersey bearing Ousmane Dembélé's name, or was it for the victims in general?

Whether this was the reason or not, sports and humanitarian pages shared his post, considering this initiative from one of the world's most prominent football stars as highlighting the tragedy experienced by civilians in Sudan and calling for urgent international action to stop the violations.

It is worth noting that the terrorist militias of the Dagalo family stormed El Fasher last week after a suffocating siege that lasted for nearly two years, during which they launched more than 280 attacks using various deadly weapons. Following their invasion of the city, they committed horrific massacres against civilians, including women, the elderly, and even children. Five thousand people were killed in cold blood, and their bodies were mutilated on the first day of their entry into the city.

As a result, a massive online campaign was launched on social media in solidarity with the citizens of El Fasher. A number of Sudanese activists initiated the campaign with the hashtags "#SaveElFasher" and "#SaveSudan," which quickly became the top trending hashtag in Sudan before going global.

Following this, a number of regional football stars joined the campaign, most notably Désiré Doué and Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain players), William Saliba (Arsenal player), Tijani Rinders (Manchester City player), and Marc Casado (Barcelona player).

Algerian player Youcef Belaïli also updated his Instagram status, writing:

"Don't forget your brothers in Sudan. They are starving like the people of Gaza, suffering like them, and no one cares about them, pays attention to their plight, or follows their news. Remember, this is your nation, one nation."

Also joining the campaign were Spaniard Álvaro Carreras, Frenchman Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Englishman Jude Bellingham, who wrote on their official Facebook accounts: "Save Sudan."

Even coaches made their mark, with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola posting a Sudanese flag emoji.

This hashtag's momentum wasn't limited to football players or coaches; it extended to the stands, where fans of the Moroccan Royal Army Club declared their solidarity with Sudan, writing: "Our brothers and sisters in Sudan and Palestine, God will not let the oppressors go unpunished."

The same was done by fans of the Tunisian Espérance Sportive de Tunis, but more explicitly, with banners reading: "Sudan, oh nation of betrayal."

The outpouring of support for the victims of the massacre in El Fasher continues to grow by the hour, particularly from football celebrities and athletes in general, all expressing their full solidarity with Sudan as a whole, and El Fasher in particular.

The question remains: Will this powerful movement by athletes be enough to stop this tragedy and bring the perpetrators to justice?.

Current Affairs

When Decisions Are Bought: Emirati Financial Influence and the Complication of the Sudanese Crisis Within the African Ho

The Benishangul Region: History and Current Implications

Sudan The Present Absent in IGAD