By: Special Correspondent
Introduction
Sudan — once a cultural and economic crossroads between Africa and the Arab world — now stands shattered by one of the most devastating humanitarian disasters of our time.
Since April 15, 2023, the country has been consumed by an all-out war between two rival power centers: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). What began as a leadership feud between two generals has ripped through communities, leaving millions displaced and cities in ruins.
Khartoum, once the proud capital on the Nile, has turned into a ghost city scarred by airstrikes and hunger. The United Nations calls the situation “a crisis of unimaginable suffering.”
This article explores how Sudan collapsed into chaos, the human toll of the fighting, and what the future may hold for a nation struggling simply to survive.
A Fragile History: The Road to War
Sudan’s descent into civil war did not happen overnight. It is the product of decades of instability, corruption, and power struggles.
For thirty years, President Omar al-Bashir ruled the country with an iron hand. When he was toppled in 2019 after mass protests, hope briefly flickered. A transitional government, shared between civilians and the military, promised democracy and reform.
But the arrangement was fragile. By October 2021, the army — led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan — dissolved the civilian partnership in a coup, restoring full military control. At the same time, another powerful figure, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, was expanding his influence through the RSF, a paramilitary group that grew out of the infamous Janjaweed militias responsible for atrocities in Darfur.
When negotiations began to merge the RSF into the regular army, tempers flared. The two men, both unwilling to yield authority, turned political tension into open combat.
By mid-April 2023, the first shots in Khartoum had unleashed a war that would engulf the entire nation.
The War That Devoured Sudan
The fighting started near Sudan’s presidential palace and military headquarters. Within hours, the capital was under siege. Smoke filled the skies as residents fled or hid in their homes.
Both Burhan’s army and Hemedti’s RSF claimed to be defending Sudan’s future — yet their battle has left nothing standing.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) still control the skies and operate conventional weaponry, while the RSF dominates on the ground with mobile units, funding from Sudan’s gold trade, and alleged foreign backers.
The result has been a grinding stalemate — a war fought street by street, where civilians pay the price.
A Humanitarian Nightmare:
Displacement and Exodus
The numbers are almost impossible to grasp. According to the United Nations, over 10 million people have been forced from their homes — making Sudan the world’s largest displacement crisis.
More than 4 million have crossed borders into Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia, where refugee camps are bursting at the seams. Families arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs, after walking for days through conflict zones.
Starvation and Famine
Food has become a weapon in this war. Fields lie abandoned, markets have collapsed, and aid convoys rarely get through.
The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that 25 million Sudanese — half the population — now face extreme hunger. In several regions, famine is no longer a threat but a grim reality.
A farmer from Darfur summed it up simply:
“We had crops, we had cattle — now we have graves.”
Collapse of Healthcare
Sudan’s healthcare system has almost completely disintegrated. Over 70 percent of hospitals in conflict zones are out of service, and those still operating face severe shortages of fuel, medicine, and staff.
Diseases such as cholera, measles, and malaria are spreading fast among displaced communities. Humanitarian doctors describe performing surgeries without anesthesia and sterilizing tools over open flames.
Children and Lost Education
Sudan’s children are perhaps the war’s most silent victims. More than 19 million are out of school — the highest number in the nation’s history. Thousands have been orphaned or forced into labor and armed recruitment.
UNICEF calls it “a generational catastrophe.”
Why Sudan Fell Apart
Experts cite a mix of political greed, weak institutions, and foreign interference as the main drivers of the conflict.
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A Power Struggle Between Generals:The personal rivalry between Burhan and Hemedti turned a fragile transition into civil war.
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Absence of Civilian Leadership:Repeated coups and military takeovers left Sudan without legitimate democratic leadership.
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Economic Meltdown:Years of mismanagement and corruption had already crippled the economy. When war erupted, the Sudanese pound collapsed, inflation soared, and poverty deepened.
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Ethnic and Regional Divisions:Decades of neglect of regions like Darfur and Kordofan fueled resentment toward Khartoum’s elite.
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Foreign Interests:Regional powers — including the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Russia — see Sudan as a strategic prize, each supporting different sides for control of its gold, ports, and political influence.
Life Under Fire
Everyday life has become a fight for survival.
In Khartoum, residents risk their lives daily to fetch water or search for food. Electricity is rare, fuel is unavailable, and bodies often remain unburied for days.
One mother from Omdurman told aid workers:
“We don’t sleep. The sound of bombs never stops. My children ask me when it will end — I have no answer.”
Women and girls are increasingly vulnerable to sexual violence. Human rights groups report hundreds of cases of rape and abduction by armed factions.
Darfur: A Nightmare Reborn
For those who remember the early 2000s genocide in Darfur, history seems to be repeating itself.
Reports from El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, describe widespread massacres of ethnic African communities by RSF fighters and allied militias. Entire towns have been reduced to ashes.
UN officials warn that these killings “carry the marks of genocide,” yet the world has done little beyond issuing statements of concern.
The Regional Ripple Effect
Sudan’s implosion is shaking the entire Horn of Africa.
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Chad is hosting over one million refugees — an enormous burden on its fragile economy.
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South Sudan fears the influx of fighters and weapons could reignite its own civil war.
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Ethiopia and Egypt, already at odds over Nile water rights, watch nervously as chaos spreads along their borders.
Sudan’s strategic location near the Red Sea makes it even more critical. If instability continues, vital global trade routes could be threatened, and extremist groups could exploit the vacuum.
Aid Under Fire
While the humanitarian need is immense, access to affected regions is dangerously limited.
Aid convoys are often looted or blocked, and several aid workers have been killed. Both warring sides restrict humanitarian movement, using starvation as leverage.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) appealed for $4 billion in aid but received less than half.
International relief groups like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are warning that without secure corridors, millions could die silently in the coming months.
A War the World Hardly Sees
One of the most striking aspects of Sudan’s war is how little the world sees or hears of it.
With internet blackouts, destroyed communication towers, and restrictions on journalists, it has become a “war without witnesses.”
Reliable information is scarce. Mass killings and atrocities go largely unreported. Social media is flooded with propaganda, making truth the first casualty.
Humanitarian workers say the actual death toll — officially estimated at 15,000 — is likely many times higher.
Economic Collapse: A Nation Bankrupt
Before the conflict, Sudan’s economy was fragile but functional. Now, it lies in complete ruin.
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The Sudanese pound has lost over 90% of its value.
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Food and fuel prices have risen by 700% or more.
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Gold mines and agricultural lands are under militia control.
The middle class has vanished, and most citizens rely entirely on humanitarian assistance — if they can get it. Economists warn that Sudan faces “economic extinction” unless stability returns soon.
Global Implications
Sudan’s crisis is not just an African tragedy — it’s a global concern.
The country borders seven nations, acts as a gateway to the Red Sea, and holds vast untapped natural resources. If Sudan completely collapses, the resulting instability could spread across continents — from mass migration toward Europe to the rise of transnational crime and terrorism.
As one analyst in Washington observed:
“A failed Sudan could redraw Africa’s map — and the world isn’t ready for it.”
Paths Toward Peace
Ending Sudan’s agony will require unity, pressure, and compassion — from both within and beyond its borders.
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A Verified Ceasefire:International mediators must enforce an immediate and monitored cessation of hostilities.
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Safe Humanitarian Corridors:Aid agencies need guaranteed access to deliver food, medicine, and shelter to civilians trapped in conflict zones.
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Inclusive Negotiations:Peace talks must involve not only military leaders but also civilians, women, and marginalized communities who represent the true voice of Sudan.
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Accountability for Atrocities:War crimes must be investigated, and perpetrators — regardless of rank — should face justice under the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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Regional Cooperation:The African Union, IGAD, and neighboring countries must take a stronger role instead of leaving mediation to outside powers.
The Spirit of the People
Amid destruction, Sudanese resilience shines through. Across makeshift camps and ruined towns, people are organizing community kitchens, small schools, and volunteer clinics.
Women’s groups have become the backbone of survival — distributing food, caring for orphans, and keeping hope alive.
“We will not abandon our country,” says Fatima, a teacher now sheltering in Port Sudan. “If we keep teaching, even under trees, our children will still have a future.”
Conclusion
Two years of relentless fighting have left Sudan bleeding — its cities in ruins, its people scattered, and its dreams crushed. Yet beneath the despair lies extraordinary courage.
Sudan’s war is more than a clash of generals; it’s a struggle for the nation’s soul. The question for the world is whether it will act before this human tragedy deepens into irreversible loss.
Because if Sudan falls completely silent, it won’t just be a failure of politics — it will be a failure of humanity itself.
References (cited sources):
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United Nations OCHA and UNHCR reports on Sudan (2024–2025)
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World Food Programme and UNICEF situation updates
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Médecins Sans Frontières field statements
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AP, Reuters, The Guardian, Washington Post feature coverage
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World Vision and UNRIC briefings