Sudan’s War: When the Piper at Home Finally Strikes a Chord

Pen Point

By Dr. Osama Mohamed Abdelrahim

(On the testimony of French philosopher and public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy regarding the war in Sudan)

Since its outbreak on April 15, 2023, Sudan’s war between the national army and the rebel militia has produced a wide array of systematic atrocities. These include mass killings, organized rape, looting and destruction, ethnic targeting, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and the forced displacement of millions. Far beyond a mere military conflict, the war has descended into a criminal campaign aimed at dismantling the Sudanese state, its society, and its collective memory.

The militia has effectively become a machine of wholesale destruction—targeting public and private property, looting vital infrastructure such as power and water stations, medical warehouses, and essential services. The precision of this campaign points not to chaos, but to a methodical attempt to tear Sudan apart, not just politically, but existentially. What makes these crimes all the more devastating is the deafening international silence and glaring media neglect—as if Sudan’s collapse is of no consequence beyond its borders.

Enter Bernard-Henri Lévy—one of France’s most controversial public intellectuals and a leading voice among the so-called “New Philosophers.” Known for his interventions in global crises from Bosnia to Libya, Kurdistan to Ukraine, Lévy was born in 1948 to a Sephardic Jewish family in French-colonial Algeria. Over the decades, he has fashioned himself into a politicized intellectual who champions “moral interventionism,” using his pen, camera, and influence to spotlight what he sees as global injustices.

Lévy’s humanitarianism has often stirred debate. He was a fierce advocate for NATO’s intervention in Libya, a vocal supporter of the Kurds in Iraq, and a relentless critic of Western silence during the Bosnian genocide. As such, he is often dubbed “the selective conscience of the West.” Though many fault him for meddling in sovereign affairs under the guise of morality, his voice undeniably shapes elite discourse—and occasionally, policy—in the Western world.

In the final week of July 2025, Lévy published a moving piece in Paris Match titled “Sudan: The Forgotten Massacre.” In it, he recounts his journey to Darfur, where he bore witness to what he described as “one of the worst contemporary humanitarian catastrophes.” Through vivid language, he described scenes of horror unfolding in full view of the international community, without stirring its conscience or prompting meaningful action.

Lévy traveled through destroyed towns and villages, gathering testimonies from survivors—many of them women and displaced persons. He captured photographs and footage depicting the brutality: raped women, murdered children, entire villages burned to the ground, and Khartoum wiped from global memory as though it were not the capital of a UN member state. He described the trip as deeply shocking—an experience that no one should remain silent about, no matter how far removed from the spotlight.

He also pointed to what he termed the Western media’s “silent complicity,” lamenting that Sudan’s atrocities are not reported with the same fervor as other, often less severe, crises. He wrote:
“What is happening in Sudan shames us into silence and confronts humanity with yet another moral test.”
The power of Lévy’s article lies in the fact that it constitutes a wholly European testimony about a war the West has largely chosen to ignore.

In a lengthy televised interview with France’s BFM channel on July 30, 2025, Lévy devoted a substantial portion of his remarks to Sudan. He argued that the war is not merely an “internal conflict,” but a chilling model of total humanitarian collapse. He directly referenced General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, describing him as “the last pillar holding the Sudanese state together,” warning of catastrophic scenarios should Sudan be left to the mercy of rebel militias.

Lévy recounted meetings with both military and civilian leaders and drew parallels with Libya and Syria in the run-up to their collapses. Yet, he expressed admiration for the “cohesion of the Sudanese military institution,” and offered clear words of support for General al-Burhan, stating:
“This man is fighting for the survival of the state—not for personal power.”
Such remarks are notable, given that Western perspectives often regard military leaders in the Global South with suspicion, viewing them through lenses of authoritarianism, dependency, or illegitimacy.

In the same interview, Lévy called on France and the European Union to play a greater role in halting the genocide and providing humanitarian protection to civilians. He declared:
“We cannot stand idly by while entire villages are burned and entire tribes are exterminated without accountability or international intervention.”

There’s an old adage: “The piper at home seldom delights his own.” And perhaps it perfectly encapsulates Sudan’s tragic experience with the global media. Countless Sudanese journalists, intellectuals, and human rights advocates have raised the alarm, documented atrocities, and chronicled suffering since day one—yet their voices have fallen on deaf ears. But when a French piper of Lévy’s stature plays the same tune, it suddenly resonates with the “neighborhood”—whether regional, international, or Western.

Most global media outlets ignored hundreds of field reports and Sudanese testimonies. War crimes passed unchallenged. But once Lévy wrote his piece and appeared on French television, some European platforms began to stir—reassessing their coverage and paying renewed attention.

Lévy’s is not the first testimony about this war, but it may be the first to pierce the Western conscience and enter its moral and political agenda. It’s a painful irony—that the world only listens when one of its own speaks. But it is also a call for Sudanese voices and global advocates to persist in documenting crimes, internationalizing the human rights narrative, and speaking to Western conscience in its own language—using its tools, and voices it recognizes.

Lévy’s visit, his Paris Match article, and his media appearances mark a potential turning point in the narrative of the Sudanese war. When one of “their own” plays the tune, the world tends to listen—and sometimes, even feel.

What local activists fail to transmit, a well-measured French pen may succeed in delivering.

This is why Lévy’s involvement should not be seen as mere personal sympathy, but as a golden opportunity to reconstruct the Sudan war narrative in global forums. His message is not just about atrocities—it is about repeated moral failure by the international community. This is a moment to shame the indifferent, push for recognition, and demand accountability.

But we, in turn, must seize this moment—activating global media, mobilizing human rights organizations, and amplifying the voices of the Sudanese diaspora in Europe and the U.S. We must translate local reports, document violations in all languages, and present Sudan’s truth with professional precision and global reach.

We are not asking the world to fight our battles or adopt our causes unconditionally. But we do demand recognition of the truth—and an end to its deadly silence.

And if it must be Bernard-Henri Lévy who finally breaks that silence, then let us use his voice to uncover what’s hidden, expose the killers, and redirect the moral and political compass toward this forgotten war.

Perhaps his testimony, in the end, will be like a drumbeat in the house of the deaf—but even such a beat must be heard, and it must be amplified by every voice of conscience, for the sake of truth, for the victims, and for what remains of Sudan.