In an opinion piece, Sudanese journalist Hossam Mahjoub articulates a strong critique of major powers for their negligence in responding to early warnings about the impending disaster in El Fasher, Sudan. He references a recent report from the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission, which highlighted acts consistent with genocide, including mass killings and organized sexual violence at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces. Mahjoub asserts that the tragedy could have been averted had critical decisions been made by international stakeholders in a timely manner.

Mahjoub notes that despite clear indicators of danger prior to the attack, the international community failed to act on numerous alerts. Humanitarian organizations, investigative journalists, and government agencies had raised alarms about the Rapid Support Forces' military preparations for an assault on El Fasher. He highlights that in the UK, a whistleblower from the Foreign Office accused the ministry of suppressing internal warnings about the imminent threat of genocide. Similarly, in the United States, reports and memos were sent to senior officials elevating the alert level to an "imminent threat"—yet these warnings went unheeded.

The piece culminates in Mahjoub's argument that unless there is a confrontation with the external enablers of the war, diplomatic solutions will remain ineffective. He stresses that the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Sudan demand urgent and decisive responses from the global community, pointing to the dire consequences of inaction as evidenced in the tragic events in El Fasher.