The South Sudanese community grounded in prayer at a Winnipeg rally on Saturday, demanding justice in the alleged death of South Sudanese civilians and refugees in Sudan at the hands of the military. 

"We're here in Canada voicing the voice of the voiceless," said Reuben Garang, president for the Council of South Sudanese Community of Manitoba.

"Those civilians who had nothing to do with the war were targeted because they were South Sudanese," he said at the rally, which took place at the South Sudanese Community Centre at 129 Dagmar Street.  

The most recent conflict in Sudan began on April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital of Khartoum, then spread throughout the country.

The civil war has plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis where warring factions have forced millions from their homes and stretched the threat of famine for more than half of Sudan's pre-war population.

In recent events, almost two years into the conflict, Sundan's army recaptured Wad Madani, El Gezira state capital, from the paramilitary forces on Jan. 13.

"After they had taken the town, they resulted in an organized killing of South Sudanese [people] … women, refugees who [have] stayed in Sudan for a long time," Garang said.

"To kill vulnerable people who are not fighting … this is not acceptable."

Videos depicting the alleged killings in El Gezira state were disseminated in social media, triggering "revenge attacks" in South Sudan, including deadly riots that erupted in Juba, South Sudan's capital, and elsewhere in the country with protesters angry about what they believed was the involvement of Sudan's military in the deaths.

Arek Manyang, one of dozens of people at Saturday's rally, has lived in Canada for over 25 years. In the 1980s, she fled during the Second Sudanese Civil War, leaving behind her siblings, uncles and cousins in South Sudan.

Manyang calls her family every day, she said, because it is hard to go to sleep at night not knowing if they are safe. 

"You could hear some gunshots on the phone when you're speaking with your family," Manyang said. "Our bodies are here, but our minds are there with them."

Behind Saturday's rally was the intent to raise awareness of the atrocities that have plagued both countries — a first step in the pursuit of change in the region, Garang said. 

"There's no access to basic services, there's no freedom. People are afraid of their life," he said. "It's very difficult to imagine that it's a war."

Canada imposed a slew of sanctions against the country in April, including a ban on the export of arms and a freeze on the assets of some individuals. 

The ongoing conflict was condemned by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly in December, who called on both parties to end hostilities and to engage in mediation efforts after a "scale of human suffering and gross human rights violations." 

But the rally also called on the province to do its part and join the international community in condemning the war and hold the Sudanese government accountable.

"The Sudanese and South Sudanese civilians are being targeted and killed, it needs to stop … everybody needs to contribute," Garang said.

But until it happens, Manyang will continue pushing through her days far away from her family by praying. 

"We call it Inshallah, that means God is willing to whatever that happen[s] … that's what we rely on." CBC