Satellite ‘observatory’ to monitor Sudan conflict

The US Department of State officially launched Sudan Conflict Observatory platform, a remote monitoring platform “to provide independent, expert reporting on conflict activity in Sudan”. It is a collaboration among the geographic information systems companies Esri and PlanetScape Ai, as well as Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken tweeted: “Today, the US-supported Sudan Conflict Observatory remote monitoring platform will start releasing public reports on violations of international humanitarian law and other abuses. It is time to end the cycle of violence that is devastating the Sudanese people.”

The State Dept says that “some results of this monitoring will be released publicly via the Sudan Conflict Observatory platform. This remote monitoring platform provides independent, expert reporting on conflict activity in Sudan, including damage to infrastructure committed by combatants, military equipment movements, and rapid population shifts. Additional reports will be released periodically through the website.

“The USA and our partners continue intense diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Sudan, facilitate humanitarian assistance, and support the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a civilian government, we are monitoring the activities of the warring parties. Through commercial satellite imagery and open-source data analysis, this monitoring has documented multiple serious violations by both sides of their obligations under the May 11 Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan and subsequent ceasefires.”

The Sudan Conflict Observatory platform affirms the US commitment to transparency as we work with partners to bring an end to the military conflict in Sudan; address human rights violations and abuses; and ensure immediate, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access for organisations providing life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable and those displaced due to the fighting,” the statement concludes.

Read the full first report of the Sudan Conflict Observatory here