Declan Walsh

Twenty years ago, a genocidal campaign in the Darfur region of Sudan shocked the world. Now, videos and images of new atrocities have captured global attention once more.Declan Walsh, who has been covering Sudan, discusses one of the worst humanitarian conflicts in decades, and how gold is fueling it.Guest: Declan Walsh, the chief Africa correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: From December: The gold rush at the heart of a civil war.News Analysis: The world seems unable, or unwilling, to do much to stop a new struggle on an old battlefield as atrocities sweep villages and towns.Photo: Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesFor more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Jennifer Ludden, NPR national correspondent, reveals the Trump administration's decision to partially restart SNAP benefits, impacting millions. Declan Walsh, Chief Africa correspondent for The New York Times, discusses the dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan, highlighting alleged atrocities in Al-Fashir. Curtis Taylor, CEO of the Tallahassee Urban League, shares local initiatives to keep Head Start classrooms open and address food insecurity during the government shutdown. These conversations shed light on the urgent challenges facing disadvantaged communities.

Declan Walsh, the Africa Bureau Chief for The New York Times and author on Sudan, shares his insights into the brutal civil war and its connection to gold. He discusses how rebel forces capture cities like el-Fasher, the staggering economic impact of gold smuggling estimated at $16 billion annually, and the power dynamics between the RSF and Sudanese army. Walsh reveals how Commander Hemedti’s rise correlates with gold mines and explores the international implications of foreign powers backing rival factions in this violent conflict.