Sudan's war leaves Khartoum with unexploded mines and other weapons
ABC News
Overall Assessment
The article opens with a compelling human story but maintains journalistic discipline throughout. It balances emotional impact with factual reporting, using diverse and properly attributed sources. The framing emphasizes humanitarian consequences without assigning disproportionate blame, though mine-laying accusations are presented without differentiation.
"Khaled Abdulgader noticed children using an unusual object as a football and tried to stop them. He grabbed it, and it exploded in his hand."
Narrative Framing
Headline & Lead 85/100
The headline is factual and representative of the article’s focus on unexploded ordnance in Khartoum. The lead uses a personal story to engage readers, which is effective but slightly leans into narrative framing. Overall, the attention-grabbing elements are grounded in real events and do not distort the issue.
✓ Balanced Reporting: The headline clearly identifies the subject (unexploded mines and weapons) and location (Khartoum), focusing on a real and pressing humanitarian issue without exaggeration.
"Sudan's war leaves Khartoum with unexploded mines and other weapons"
✕ Narrative Framing: The lead opens with a human-interest anecdote involving a man injured by an explosive, which draws attention but risks emotional priming before presenting broader context.
"Khaled Abdulgader noticed children using an unusual object as a football and tried to stop them. He grabbed it, and it exploded in his hand."
Language & Tone 90/100
The tone remains largely objective, using measured language and direct quotes. Some descriptive phrases carry mild emotional weight, but overall the article avoids overt sensationalism or editorializing. Emotional impact arises naturally from the subject matter rather than manipulation.
✕ Loaded Language: The phrase 'ghost town' carries connotation beyond mere description, evoking abandonment and desolation, which may amplify the sense of devastation beyond neutral reporting.
"Khartoum city is still a ghost town, strewn with remnants of fighting."
✕ Appeal To Emotion: The inclusion of Abdulgader’s quote expressing gratitude for surviving with only hand injuries subtly evokes pathos, though it is his own voice and not editorialized.
"“I feel like, ‘Thank God it was just my hands,’” Abdulgader said."
✓ Proper Attribution: The article consistently attributes claims to individuals or organizations, avoiding blanket statements.
"according to the United Nations"
Balance 95/100
The article demonstrates strong source balance, citing survivors, experts, aid groups, and government officials. Attribution is transparent, including justified anonymity. Perspectives are fairly represented without privileging one side.
✓ Balanced Reporting: The article includes perspectives from a survivor, a demining expert, the government, and the United Nations, offering a well-rounded view of the issue.
"“The presence of land mines and other explosive ordnance is of great concern to everybody,” said Juma Abuanja, the team leader for Jasmar, a Sudanese demining group."
✓ Proper Attribution: All key claims are clearly attributed, including anonymous government sources with justification for anonymity.
"A government official told the AP it is trying to raise awareness by speaking at mosques and in the markets and via radio and podcasts, and it is creating educational materials with schools. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because…"
✓ Comprehensive Sourcing: Sources include victims, local demining teams, international organizations, and government representatives, ensuring diverse and credible input.
"Nearly 60 people were injured or killed in Khartoum state last year, over half of them children, and 23 were injured or killed in the first three months of this year, 21 of them children, according to the United Nations."
Completeness 92/100
The article delivers substantial context on scale, history, and current efforts. It quantifies contamination and clearance progress, though it could further differentiate responsibility between warring parties. Overall, the issue is well contextualized.
✓ Comprehensive Sourcing: The article provides historical context (decades of conflict), current scope (7,700 football fields), and recent war impact (post-2023 contamination), giving a layered understanding.
"Decades of conflict in Sudan have left unexploded ordnance scattered across the country, with a combined area of about 7,700 football fields contaminated."
✕ False Balance: The article notes both the Sudanese army and RSF are accused of laying mines but does not explore whether evidence differentiates their roles, potentially implying equal responsibility without nuance.
"Both the Sudanese army and the RSF have been accused of laying mines, according to aid groups, during the war as they fought for control of the capital."
Public safety in Khartoum is portrayed as severely compromised due to unexploded ordnance
[narr combustible narrative framing combined with loaded language and statistical emphasis on child casualties]
"Khartoum city is still a ghost town, strewn with remnants of fighting. Charred, abandoned buildings are pocked with bullet holes."
Children are framed as disproportionately vulnerable and inadequately protected from explosive hazards
[appeal_to_emotion] and repeated statistical highlighting of child victims
"Nearly 60 people were injured or killed in Khartoum state last year, over half of them children, and 23 were injured or killed in the first three months of this year, 21 of them children, according to the United Nations."
Military action in Khartoum is framed as leaving behind illegitimate and enduring civilian hazards
[false_balance] in attributing mine-laying without differentiation, implying both sides engaged in indiscriminate tactics
"Both the Sudanese army and the RSF have been accused of laying mines, according to aid groups, during the war as they fought for control of the capital."
The ongoing presence of unexploded ordnance is framed as a harmful violation of basic human rights to safety
[loaded_language] and expert testimony emphasizing scale and slow progress
"“The presence of land mines and other explosive ordnance is of great concern to everybody,” said Juma Abuanja, the team leader for Jasmar, a Sudanese demining group."
Returning populations, including displaced persons, are framed as returning into unsafe conditions
[narrative_framing] of returnees encountering explosive hazards in daily life
"Tens of thousands of people have returned to the city and 1.7 million have returned to Khartoum state, according to the U.N."
The article opens with a compelling human story but maintains journalistic discipline throughout. It balances emotional impact with factual reporting, using diverse and properly attributed sources. The framing emphasizes humanitarian consequences without assigning disproportionate blame, though mine-laying accusations are presented without differentiation.
Years of conflict in Sudan have left Khartoum and surrounding areas contaminated with unexploded mines and weapons, endangering returning residents. Demining teams have cleared thousands of square meters and destroyed over 36,000 devices, but the process remains slow and under-resourced. Both government and humanitarian groups warn of persistent risks, especially to children.
ABC News — Conflict - Africa
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