International Day of the Disappeared: Conflict in Sudan drives missing persons cases in Africa

 

Over 82,000 people across Africa are registered as missing with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC figures show that the conflict in Sudan has had a substantial impact on its caseload of missing persons on the continent.

In 2024, the ICRC and its Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners facilitated 755 family reunifications on the continent and provided definitive news of the whereabouts of loved ones to 5,083 families.

Despite these positive results, the caseload of missing persons recorded by the ICRC on the continent continues to increase. The conflict in Sudan is the primary reason for this increase, with over 7,700 requests to help locate a missing person in relation to the conflict. This figure represents a 52 per cent increase compared to 2023, with a growing number of requests coming from neighbouring Chad and South Sudan as the countries saw an outpour of people fleeing Sudan. 

“This figure represents just a small fraction of those who have disappeared”, said Patrick Youssef, the director of the Africa region for the ICRC. “Our teams are receiving hundreds of messages, emails and calls weekly from people looking for their loved ones. Enquiries come from all over the world, Sudan and neighbouring countries of course, but also the UK, France, the United States of America.”

In Chad, the number of registered missing persons rose to 2,577 – a 275 per cent increase from 2023 figures. The situation is replicated in South Sudan where a caseload of 6,597 missing persons represents a 70 per cent increase. Both countries have seen an influx of Sudanese refugees since the beginning of the conflict.

The ICRC and its Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners work together to prevent families from being separated and people from going missing, to search for those who do, and to protect the dignity of the dead.

The International Day of the Disappeared, observed on 30 August, helps raise awareness of the plight of the missing, honours their memories and the emotional distress of families, and helps focus attention on the need to help prevent and respond to the issue of missing persons.

The ICRC is calling for visibility of the phenomenon of disappearance in Africa, and further international effort to prevent and respond to the issue of missing persons in the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).