Following years of growing tensions, the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into a fierce civil war in April 2023.
In Sudan’s history, the military has been the main authority, having supported dictator Omar al-Bashir for thirty years until his removal in 2019. In 2021, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan orchestrated a coup that dismantled a fragile coalition of civilian and military leaders formed during the transitional period. This coup sparked widespread protests and a violent response from security forces.
As the military sought to strengthen its grip, a bitter rivalry emerged with the Rapid Support Forces. This powerful militia played a key role in ousting Bashir. Tensions escalated when the army proposed integrating RSF personnel into the regular security forces, a suggestion that faced fierce resistance from the militia’s leader, who was unwilling to give up its autonomy.
What was once a land filled with hopes for peace now stands as a stark reminder of the devastating fallout from a struggle that had been quietly escalating for far too long.
Unfortunately, Sudan has not garnered the media attention or support from the international community that its circumstances warrant.
Two decades ago, the people of Darfur abandoned their homes to escape the atrocities committed by the Janjaweed militia, which had the backing of the oppressive regime of Omar al-Bashir. This militia carried out a genocidal campaign that included mass murders, rape and widespread looting. The current conflict has once again plunged Sudan into a state of hell and despair.
There are troubling reports regarding the indiscriminate killing and terrorisation of civilians, which observers contend may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The reports also reveal that humanitarian aid convoys are being specifically targeted, with humanitarian staff and warehouses coming under attack.
Women and girls face heightened risks of increased sexual violence.
Since the beginning of the war, it is estimated that up to 150,000 lives may have been lost, with the cycle of violence continuing to spiral out of control. This ongoing strife has uprooted millions, driving them from their homes and resulting in what the United Nations calls the most severe displacement crisis the world has ever seen.
Reports from UN investigators indicate that women and girls, some as young as 14, have been subjected to horrific sexual violence by militiamen affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces. Furthermore, the group’s snipers have been targeting civilians indiscriminately, and there have been instances of entire villages getting torched and residents massacred, alongside several other atrocities.
Despite humanitarian groups identifying the crisis as one of the most severe globally, the Sudanese population has received scant attention or aid.
While the wars in Ukraine and Gaza dominate global headlines, a devastating humanitarian crisis in Sudan remains largely overlooked. The contrast is striking: international donors have pledged nearly 1,000 times more assistance to Kyiv than to the beleaguered nation of Sudan, revealing a glaring imbalance that calls for urgent attention and compassion.
Amidst the chaos of gunfire, the thunder of bombs, and the relentless shelling, the people of Sudan have felt the weight of our silence. They wonder why they have been abandoned, why their cries for help have faded into the background. It is time for the world to rise and unite, to break this silence and take action to end this tragic conflict.