Passion for Palestine must translate to Africa

ACROSS Africa and the broader Global South, solidarity with Palestine has become a defining moral position.

- SIFISO MAHLANGU

Millions march, organise, donate, and speak out against the suffering of Palestinians. Governments pass resolutions. Civil society mobilises. Social media pulses with outrage. This solidarity is rooted in a shared history of dispossession, colonialism, and racial oppression. It is powerful, and it is principled. We stand with Palestine.

But if solidarity is truly about justice, then it cannot be selective. The moral clarity we bring to Palestine must also be directed toward the wars devastating our own continent. The same vigour, urgency, and sustained attention must be extended to Africans facing displacement, starvation, sexual violence, and state collapse. If we fail to do so, our activism risks becoming symbolic rather than principled.

Consider the ongoing catastrophe in Sudan. Since April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has plunged the country into one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises. Tens of thousands have been killed. Millions have been displaced internally and across borders. Cities like Khartoum have become battlefields. Famine threatens multiple regions. Yet the global mobilisation for Sudan remains limited compared to Palestine. Where are the weekly marches. The viral campaigns. The sustained diplomatic pressure.