A Crisis the World Must Not Ignore
Since fighting erupted in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country has experienced one of the most acute humanitarian emergencies in the world. Millions of Sudanese have been displaced, infrastructure has been devastated, and access to food, water, medical care, and safety has collapsed across large parts of the country.
Understanding what is happening in Sudan, and why, is essential not only for those concerned with the region but for anyone who cares about human security and the international community's ability to respond to mass crises.
Background: How Did It Come to This?
Sudan's current crisis has roots in decades of political instability, military rule, and unresolved questions about governance and power-sharing. After the 2019 popular uprising removed long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir, Sudan entered a fragile transition period, governed by a joint civilian-military Sovereignty Council.
That transition was derailed by a military coup in October 2021, jointly led by SAF commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti. The two men had previously cooperated but fell into a deepening rivalry over the terms of a planned transition to civilian rule — including disagreements over the integration of the RSF into a unified national military, the timeline of that integration, and the distribution of political and economic power.
Negotiations facilitated by regional and international actors failed to prevent the breakdown. In April 2023, fighting broke out in Khartoum and spread rapidly to Darfur, Kordofan, and other regions.
The Human Cost
The scale of suffering has been staggering. Key dimensions of the humanitarian crisis include:
- Mass displacement: Sudan has generated one of the largest displacement crises in the world, with millions fleeing to neighboring countries — Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya — as well as being internally displaced within Sudan.
- Food insecurity: Large portions of Sudan's population face acute food insecurity. Agricultural production has been disrupted, supply chains have collapsed, and humanitarian access has been repeatedly blocked.
- Healthcare collapse: Hospitals and clinics have been damaged, occupied, or forced to close. Medical staff have been attacked, and essential medicines and equipment are in critically short supply across conflict-affected areas.
- Violence against civilians: Reports of widespread atrocities — including mass killings, sexual violence, and looting — have been documented, particularly in the Darfur region, drawing comparisons to the 2003–2005 Darfur genocide.
Regional and International Responses
The international response to Sudan's crisis has been widely criticized as insufficient relative to the scale of need. Humanitarian funding has fallen well short of requirements. Diplomatic efforts have been fragmented, with multiple competing mediation tracks — the African Union, IGAD, the Arab League, and bilateral efforts by Saudi Arabia and the UAE — failing to produce a ceasefire.
Regional dynamics have complicated international engagement. Several regional actors have interests in Sudan's outcome — whether related to border security, access to the Nile, or competition for influence — that have complicated unified pressure for a resolution.
What Would Peace Require?
A sustainable path to peace in Sudan would require, at minimum:
- A durable ceasefire with effective monitoring mechanisms.
- Unimpeded humanitarian access to all affected populations.
- Accountability for atrocities committed by all parties.
- A genuine transition to civilian governance with broad Sudanese participation.
- International support — financial, technical, and diplomatic — for reconstruction and reconciliation.
None of these conditions is easy to achieve in the current environment. But Sudan's crisis is not inevitable — it is the product of political failures, and political solutions, however difficult, remain possible. The international community's engagement, including that of Arab states with deep ties to Sudan, will be critical to determining whether that path is taken.