Doctors in Sudan speak out
Issue #436: Famine in Sudan, corporate imperialism in Colombia, Yazidi demands 11 years after the Sinjar genocide, and Ivorian grief stitched into art.
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I finished reading "In the Shadow of a Saint" by Ken Wiwa (the son of Ogoni environmental activist Saro Ken-Wiwa). In the final chapters, he sits down with Steve Biko’s son and Nelson Mandela’s daughter and asks: what does it mean to have a father who was politically powerful, but emotionally absent? I cannot recommend the book enough, not only for what it teaches about the Ogoni struggle against Shell and the Nigerian government, but for what it says about fathers and sons, legacy, and the weight of being someone’s unfinished sentence.
In the beginning of the year, I picked up Vincent Bevins’ “If We Burn”, which I enjoyed, but dear goddess, it felt too dense at the time to finish, so I set it aside. Now that I’m finally back to enjoying reading, I've decided to revisit it again. Last morning, for example, I learned about where the term “Arab Spring” comes from, and I saved it in case I need to include it in a book one day (hint hint).
Issue 436. This week, I'm talking about famine in Sudan, banana execs behind bars in Colombia, and what justice looks like (or doesn’t). Also in here: the state of the Chinese military, what Yezidis want 11 years after the Sinjar genocide, India’s new chess prodigy, and an art scene in Côte d’Ivoire you should absolutely know about, and so much more.
Some housekeeping:
A new “Good News Only” newsletter exists: The Goodies. Free to sign up. Next issue lands next week. I was feeling very tired over the weekend.
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Editorial closing date: Tuesday, August 4, 2025.
It’s bananas! Colombia sentenced former Chiquita execs to prison for funding far-right death squads
What happened
A Colombian court sentenced seven former execs of the multinational banana company Chiquita Brands to more than 11 years in prison and a US$3.4 million fine for financing far-right paramilitary groups during the country’s armed conflict.
Why this matters: This is the first time in Colombia that individual executives have been convicted in national court for financing paramilitary violence. Plus, they each got jail time. Most corporate cases end in fines, damages, and settlements, meaning the company is held liable and is therefore paying up (like in the case of Ken Saro-Wiwa v. Shell in 2009; Shell settled for $US15.5 million).
Tell me more
This case was heard under a special part that’s part of Colombia’s Justice and Peace system, that was set up in 2005 to go after paramilitary crimes and hold both individuals and companies accountable. Its goal? Justice for victims, truth about what happened, and reparations for the damage done. That includes digging into whether corporations like Chiquita helped fuel the violence.
Here’s what the court found:
Details: Between 1997 and 2004, Chiquita’s Colombian subsidiary Banadex made over 100 payments to a paramilitary unit called Bloque Bananero, part of the far-right AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia). Prosecutors named Raúl Hasbún, known by the alias “Pedro Bonito,” as the key go-between linking the company and the paramilitary group.
Chiquita’s defense? They said they were under threat and had no choice. But the court wasn’t buying it. It ruled that the payments were made knowingly, not under pressure (which they always claimed), and that they were systematic, planned, and deliberate.
The government’s take: Colombia’s Labor Minister Antonio Sanguino called the verdict “exemplary” and said it sends a strong message: when business and violence mix, someone has to answer for it. His words: “No company is above the law.”
Context: This isn’t Chiquita’s first time in the hot seat. The company’s roots go back to United Fruit Company (if you’ve read up on imperialism, well, they are the original poster child for corporate imperialism in the Americas). Historians say United Fruit played a role in the 1954 U.S.-backed coup in Guatemala and was linked to the 1928 massacre of banana workers in Ciénaga, Colombia on plantations owned by the United Fruit Company, where up to 1,000 people were reportedly killed.
The bigger picture: Colombia’s armed conflict was a decades-long war between leftist guerrilla groups, far-right paramilitaries, and the state. Guerrillas said they were fighting for land and equality. Paramilitaries claimed to protect communities but often worked with the army and drug traffickers, and targeted civilians. The result: more than 9.5 million registered victims, according to the government’s Unidad de Víctimas. At least 450,000 people were killed between 1985 and 2018, according to the country’s Truth Commission, with over 120,000 forcibly disappeared. About 80% of those killed were civilians (mostly farmers, Indigenous communities, Afro-Colombians, and Raizal and Palenquero peoples); and most responsible for these deaths were paramilitary groups (45%), guerrillas (27%), state agents (12%). The whole thing is still sort of a fresh wound. If you’re interested in further reading, in May, there was a NPR story about a government task force that dug up mass graves of executed civilians, and the task force was getting some hands-on help from the perpetrators themselves (to avoid prison time).
Is Chiquita the only company with ties to paramilitaries in Colombia?
Several other international companies have been accused of ties to paramilitaries in Colombia.
Just this month, prosecutors seized two Bogotá offices of Perenco, an Anglo-French oil company accused of working with paramilitaries in the Casanare region.
And since 2023, execs from Drummond, a U.S. mining company, have been on trial for alleged links to paramilitary killings in the department of Cesar.
What now?
Victims’ families want more. They’re calling for broader investigations into how deep the banana industry’s ties with armed groups really go. As for Chiquita, it’s still unclear if the company will appeal the July 23 ruling.
13 children died of hunger last month in one camp in Sudan, and it’s getting worse. I talked to Sudan Doctors Network about it
Refresher: Sudan has been in a civil war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the army and a rival paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). What started as a power struggle between generals has turned into a war that’s destroyed cities, shut down supply routes, and pushed over 13 million people from their homes. It is the largest displacement crisis in the world right now. The U.N. and human rights groups say the RSF and allied militias have committed mass killings, gang rapes, and targeted violence against ethnic communities in Darfur (acts that likely amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.) Hunger, disease, and blocked aid are killing people as much as the bullets.
What happened
UNICEF last month said that child malnutrition cases in Darfur have increased by 46% between January and May. Famine has already hit parts of Darfur and Kordofan. Cholera, measles, and malaria are spreading fast.
The Sudan Doctors Network reported that 239 children died from malnutrition and severe shortages of food and medicine in North Darfur State between January and June.
In July alone, 13 children died of malnutrition in Lagawa camp for displaced people in Darfur, where over 7,000 people, mostly women and children, are trapped with little to no food. The Sudan Doctors Network, a group of medical professionals in Sudan, reported the children’s deaths in a statement on Facebook on July 29.
I reached out to Sudan Doctors Network to get a clearer picture.
Here’s the full interview (edited for clarity and brevity):
Q: Beyond the numbers, what can you tell us about the situation in Lagawa camp now? What are the medical teams actually seeing day after day?
A: The situation in Lagawa camp, located in El Daein, the capital of East Darfur State, is part of a larger humanitarian tragedy. Medical teams witness daily suffering among children affected by malnutrition, leading to severe wasting. This is primarily due to the lack of adequate food for children and mothers, as well as a severe shortage of medicine, particularly for pregnant women. These conditions continue to cause immense hardship for the displaced people in the camp.
There are also increasing cases of severe dehydration and diarrhea resulting from the lack of access to clean water. Many children are suffering from other illnesses that require urgent intervention, but due to a shortage of experienced medical teams, an unsuitable living environment, and the ongoing scarcity of medicine, their conditions often go untreated.
Q: UNICEF has noted a 46% surge in severe acute malnutrition cases across Darfur. How does that compare with what you’re seeing on the ground? Do you think these numbers still underestimate the reality?
A: There are currently no reliable mechanisms in place to accurately reflect the true scale of the crisis in Darfur. This is due to limited coverage by humanitarian organizations, their absence in many areas, and their reliance on reports from local media. As a result, the figures published by UNICEF likely represent only a fraction of the disaster.
In reality, more than 60% of children in Darfur, especially in North Darfur, are now suffering from malnutrition due to extreme food shortages. Any delay in providing assistance to these children and their mothers, or failure to urgently intervene by lifting the siege and supplying food, will result in a catastrophic loss of life.
In some areas, therapeutic foods for malnourished children are completely unavailable, as stockpiles and UN food stores in El Fasher were bombed by the Rapid Support Forces. Children in El Fasher are surviving on a single meal a day in some locations, while in others, they are forced to eat animal feed, if it’s even available.
Q: Given the collapse of the health system, what kind of support (medical or logistical) would actually make a real difference right now? Is there any access route or negotiation that is working?
A: The first and most urgent priority is lifting the siege on El Fasher to allow the delivery of medical and food supplies. This should be done through airdrops coordinated with the United Nations or by opening humanitarian corridors under an agreement between the parties, facilitated by the UN. The children of Darfur are innocent and must not be treated as parties to this conflict. Efforts to portray them as such only serve to obscure the reality.
Unless a clear mechanism is established to provide medical aid and food, lift the siege, and ensure safe humanitarian access, thousands of women, children, and elderly people will perish. The situation is critical and cannot withstand further delays.
what else happened
Bad
India / Bangladesh: A new Human Rights Watch report says hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims in India were forced across the border into Bangladesh. Some said they feared for their lives if they didn’t leave. (HRW / The Wire)
Uganda: Park rangers in Murchison Falls National Park have been accused of killing dozens of local residents while claiming to fight poaching. A new investigation says some of the victims were unarmed and trying to surrender. (Al Jazeera)
Nepal: The government has restricted access to the popular messaging app Telegram. (France24)
Israel / Gaza: Emma Graham-Harrison published a sharp analysis from Jerusalem breaking down how Israel’s own numbers reveal it hasn’t delivered enough food to sustain the population. (The Guardian)
Interesting...
Brazil: On August 1, anti-Trump protests broke out in São Paulo and Brasília after President Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, accusing Lula’s government of going after Bolsonaro allies. Lula responded: “We won’t take orders from a gringo.” His approval rating jumped. As of yesterday, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered the house arrest of Bolsonaro. (Reuters, The Economic Times, The Guardian) In the same week, BP made its biggest oil and gas discovery in 25 years in the Santos basin, off the coast of São Paulo. It’s the company’s 10th find this year. (The Guardian)
South Africa: Scientists are testing a new way to fight rhino poaching by injecting the horns with harmless radioactive material. The idea is to make horns traceable and useless to smugglers. (CBC)
Iraq: On August 3, Yazidis marked the 11th anniversary of the Sinjar genocide. Baba Sheikh, the community’s spiritual leader, demanded a special court for ISIS war crimes, full reconstruction of Sinjar, and answers about the 2,827 people still missing. He also called for constitutional protections and long-term support for survivors. (Kurdistan24)
China: On August 1, China celebrated the 98th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army with parades, embassy receptions, and a reminder that the Party still commands the gun. Xi Jinping used the moment to show off new cyber, naval, and rocket force upgrades. The message: the PLA isn’t just aging, it’s evolving. (Al Jazeera English)
Global: President Trump announced new tariffs on imports from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India. (NPR) Meanwhile, India became the largest producer of U.S.-sold smartphones in Q2 2025, accounting for 44% of units — up from 13% last year. China’s share fell from 61% to 25%. (Canalys)
UK: The University of Edinburgh published a major report on its history of profiting from slavery and supporting racist science like phrenology. It also looked at how the university handles discrimination today, including antisemitism. Plus, journalist Chris Osuh wrote about how Scotland’s role in colonialism still affects life in Jamaica. (The Guardian)
South Korea: The government has started removing loudspeakers that played K-pop and anti-regime messages across the North Korean border. President Lee Jae Myung hopes this will lower tensions and restart talks with Pyongyang. The broadcasts had been turned back on last year after North Korea sent hundreds of trash-filled balloons into the South. So far, North Korea hasn’t reacted. (The Guardian)
Good
Lebanon: Five years after the Beirut port explosion killed over 218 people, victims’ families say justice finally feels possible. A new government has removed key political blocks, letting Judge Tarek Bitar resume the investigation. Top officials are being questioned, some for the first time. (Al Jazeera)
Iraq / Kurdistan: A former Baath Party official linked to the Anfal genocide was arrested after nearly 40 years on the run. Reports say he changed his appearance with plastic surgery. (Kurdistan24)
Israel / Gaza: Emma Graham-Harrison published a sharp analysis from Jerusalem breaking down how Israel’s own numbers reveal it hasn’t delivered enough food to sustain the population. (The Guardian)
Colombia: It’s raining sentences in Colombia. Colombia: On August 1 and 2, a judge sentenced former President Álvaro Uribe to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and fraud. He was also fined about US$578,000 and banned from public office for 8 years. This is the first time a Colombian ex-president has been convicted in criminal court. Uribe will serve the sentence at his estate while his team appeals. (BBC)
India: India recovered stolen jewels taken by a British colonizer in the 1800s. (NBC) In the same week, chess player Divya Deshmukh won the 2025 Women’s World Cup and became the country’s fourth female grandmaster. (chess.com)
recommendations
Listen to… Journalist Allison Herrera sat down with Leonard Peltier, who was recently freed after decades behind bars. Peltier, an Indigenous rights activist and member of the American Indian Movement, was convicted in connection with the 1975 killing of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation (in South Dakota). Over the years, his case became one of the most controversial in U.S. legal history, with human rights organizations like Amnesty International calling the trial deeply flawed and politically motivated. Now free, Peltier speaks about his time behind bars and what comes next. While we’re at it, dozens of Native-run radio stations across the U.S. are facing closure after public media funding was cut by Congress. In many Indigenous communities, especially in remote areas with little or no internet access, these stations are a vital source of information and cultural connection. If you want to help, these stations could use support: KSUT Tribal Radio, KUYI Hopi Radio, KNBA Radio, KKWE Niijii Radio.
Look at… I bet you don’t read much about Côte d’Ivoire. What do you associate it with? Cocoa? Conflict? Not much else? Joana Choumali’s art gives you a different entry point. In “Hââbré”, she documents the last generation of Burkinabé people with facial scarification. In “Ça va aller”, she responds to a 2016 attack by stitching over quiet photos of Abidjan, capturing grief the headlines missed. And in “Alba’hian”, made during early morning walks, she turns personal loss into layered portraits of healing. Choumali talked to Global Voices about her work recently.
Read… Kiran Desai’s “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” just made the 2025 Booker Prize longlist. It follows Sonia, a writer who leaves Vermont and returns to India, and Sunny, a broke journalist in New York. It’s about belonging, ambition, and what “home” really means. Desai’s novel isn’t just about Indians living in the U.S., write the judges. It becomes a story about what happens when Westernized Indians return home and have to confront the country they left behind, and the one they thought they knew. If Desai wins, she’ll be only the fifth writer ever to win the Booker twice.
video of the week
Should war criminals be allowed to speak? | This panel from around two weeks ago in an independent bookstore in Dumbo, Brooklyn was very U.S.-coded, but I learned a lot. Turns out, in the U.S., even hate speech and calls for genocide are protected under free speech laws. Norman Finkelstein, Cornel West and Nadine Strossen debate where that legal line ends, and where “cancel culture” begins, whether pro-Palestinian slogans are always antisemitic or just made to seem that way, if students should be required to take classes with professors who hold racist views, and so on and so forth. It’s about 3.5 hours long, so make some nettle tea and settle in. (I've been drinking it for water retention in the summer, it helps.)
on a funny note
In the UAE, venting online about your ex could cost you a lot of money, jail time, and even deportation for non-citizens.
So… book that therapy session instead.
And don’t talk to ChatGPT about it, please (I loved this TikTok take on why not.)