Let’s go back to 1989, President Omar al-Bashir comes to power in a military coup he carried out with the Sudanese Armed Forces. He went on to rule Sudan as a dictator for nearly three decades until he was overthrown by the army in April 2019. This transitional government, an uneasy partnership between military representatives and civilians, raised hopes for democracy after years of unrest.
This joint military-civilian government collapses in another coup perpetrated by two powerful generals in 2021: Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and his deputy, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as ‘Hemedti’, commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.
Al-Burhan and Hemedti disagree on how to lead Sudan and in March 2023, full-scale fighting erupts between both parties over plans to integrate the RSF into the Sudanese army. Fighting quickly spreads across the country with the capital, Kharthoum, becoming the epicentre. Populations are largely targeted: mass rapes, violence, massacres - once again civilians become the true victims of this war.
Evidence has proven that the RSF have deliberately targeted non-Arab groups, aiming to reshape ethnically mixed areas of Sudan into Arab-identifying communities. In 2024, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated it was possible that the atrocities committed by the RSF may amount to genocide. This statement led to further investigations by the US government and UN investigators, confirming that genocidal acts were being perpetrated in Sudan.
In just two years of war, an estimated 150,000 people have been killed. More than 13 million have been displaced from their homes, fleeing to neighbouring countries such as Egypt, Chad or Ethiopia and 24 million face acute food insecurity. The massacre of El-Geneina, West Darfur’s capital, is one of the deadliest episodes of the conflict with over a thousand civilians killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. UNICEF reports show that armed men committed extreme violence and assault on children as young as one year old.
In October 2025, the RSF seized the city of El-Fasher following an 18-month siege. The takeover of Hemedti’s troops is not only a military turning point but also a humanitarian one. The RSF have perpetrated systematic violence against non-Arab communities, with human rights organisations warning of widespread ethnic cleansing. It is also reported that up to 250,000 people are at immediate risk of starvation, disease and extreme violence within the walls of the city.
But what is really being done to end this conflict? Well, multiple peace initiatives have been observed, such as rounds of peace talks taking place in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. However, they have been rejected by both sides of the conflict. The International Crisis Group has called for diplomatic efforts to end the war in Sudan, whilst Amnesty International has labelled the international response as “woefully inadequate”. The global interest is significantly inferior to other recent conflicts, even as women and children are being tortured, raped and killed every day in Sudan.
Accusations lean towards the UAE for being the main provider of weapons to the RSF and Iran for the SAF. Which evidently all parties strongly deny. Although other countries such as China, Russia and Turkey have manufactured and imported weapons and military equipment into Sudan where it will be used for violating international human rights. Following Donald Trump’s decision to cut foreign aid, humanitarian work has also been terribly affected in the region. In 2024, USAID still provided 44% of global humanitarian funding for Sudan, meaning reductions in U.S. support had devastating consequences for its population.
Despite being the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, Sudan only receives a fraction of the media attention it deserves. Media organisations have a responsibility to shed light on the suffering and the atrocities taking place in Sudan instead of letting it fade away into darkness. The international community must unite and demand more from international institutions, governments and from the media that shapes our understanding of the world to not forget nor abandon Sudan and its people.