Sudan Massacre Rises, Bloggers Raises Awareness

As the crisis in Sudan grows increasingly dangerous and efforts have been made to silence Sudanese people in the midst of the chaos, updates on the government crackdown are being shared by an unlikely source: Social media influencers.

On Thursday, Shahd Khidir, a Sudanese influencer and blogger who mainly shares beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content, went "off-brand" to raise awareness to her nearly 64,000 Instagram followers about the dire situation in Sudan. Khidir, who is based in New York City, posted a photograph of herself crying at her desk along with a heartbreaking story about her friend, who she learned had recently been murdered in Sudan.

The UN has raised fears the country is in danger of sliding into "human rights abyss" in the aftermath of the armed forces crackdown on the protest and subsequent unrest.

Sudan has been in turmoil after the successful ousting of Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's strongman president of 30 years, in April.

A doctor with access to figures compiled by a pro-reform committee of medics said hospitals recorded more than 70 cases of rape in the attack and its aftermath.

The rapes were allegedly carried out by members of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries, notoriously brutal militia with roots in the conflict in the western Darfur region of Sudan, which began in 2003.