On April 15th 2023, fighting between rival armed factions broke out at Khartoum (Sudanese capital). As tension arose, so did the fear for a full scale civil war which unfortunately is Sudan’s current situation. The conflict is primarily due to the power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the powerful paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti Dagalo. They have been battling for control of the state and its resources, yet, the reason for the confrontation having begun on April was due to RSF forces being deployed near Meowe and Khartoum and even after being asked by the government’s forces to leave, the RSF took control of the Soba military base south of Khartoum. Although the factions have worked together in 2019 in a coup against Omar-al Bashir (previous Sudan president: 1989-2019), and once again in a coup against Abdalla Hamdok (former prime-minister of Sudan: 2021-2022), after the supposedly democratic transition led by al-Burhan, distress emerged, stalling the country’s transition efforts.
Over time, even if the US and several NGOs (including the Humans Right Watch) have intervened as an attempt to relieve the situation, it seems as if the wrestle has gotten worse. After Burhan expelled UN envoy Volker Perthes from the country (May 2023) and later, the assassination of Khamis Abakar (governor of the province in West Darfur, in June 2023), the Sudanese citizens have officially entered a state of complete despair and constant horror. The airstrike occurred on September 9th 2024 and has left more than 20 people dead and dozens of others wounded. Apparently, the blame is on the RSF group, however, no comments of either faction were made.This recent attack reflects the conditions the Sudanese are living by. Since the conflict began, at least 18,000 people have died and over 10 million have been displaced to unstable areas in Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, overrunning refugee camps with many planning to attempt entering Europe. Overall, the UN continues to plead for support as more than 25 million people require humanitarian assistance, with a food security risk triggering the world’s largest hunger crisis.
On March 8th 2024, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate cessation of violence in Sudan. A few days later, the SAF agreed to indirect negotiations (with mediation by Libya and Turkey) with the RSF. However, on March 11th, the SAF’s top general reconsidered and refused the proposal during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan with the condition that the RSF forces withdraw themselves from civilian states. Hence, peace wasn’t reached with the proposed solution. Still, at the International Humanitarian Conference of April 15th 2024 in Paris, efforts were put together by ministers and representatives of 58 states (including neighbouring and regional countries and donors) to alleviate the suffering and find a solution to the dispute. Hopefully, with the assistance of so many countries, this crisis will be over soon.
