Sudan was plunged into the third civil war in its country’s history in April 2023 when the Rapid Security Forces (RSD), a paramilitary group formerly associated with the Sudanese government, launched a rebellion against the ruling military junta. Tension has been brewing in the country for years when the military once again deposed the civilian government in 2021, just two years after deposing dictator Omar Al Bashir. The RSF was formed in 2013 as a collective of Arab militia groups, and is led by accused war criminal and Darfur genocide participant General Hemetti. The group began experiencing a power struggle between Hemetti and Sudan’s de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
On April 15th, the RSF launched an attack on the military and took control of areas around Sudan, including in the capital city of Khartoum. Since then, the brutal civil war has been ongoing with the emergence of a new group called Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N). The war has been inescapable for the people of Sudan, both sides are accusing the other of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against civilians. Both al-Burhan and Hemetti have been trying to appeal to foreign nations for help. Nations like Iran and Saudi Arabia have supported the junta government while nations like the UAE and the Russian mercenary group Wagner Group have supported the RSF as the group has business ties to the RSF before the war (Wagner and Russia have denied this).
The brutality this war has had on the people of Sudan is described as “pure evil.” The UN has reported that the RSF has participated in mass sexual violence against women and ethnic cleansing against non-Arabs. UNICEF recently reported that over 700,000 Sudanese children are at risk for “the worst form of malnutrition” and called it the “worst child displacement crisis.” Relief groups have found it nearly impossible to provide aid due to the conflict’s severity and their supplies are being looted in the Darfur region, where the fighting is at some of its worst. There have been reports of the use of child soldiers, disease outbreaks, torture, and attacks on hospitals. Now, the internet and almost all telecommunications have shut down when Sudanese people need them most to communicate the horror to the international community as Sudan’s neighbors have shut their borders.
The UN is looking for $4 billion to provide aid to the Sudanese people during this horrific war. The U.S. and most other nations have called for an end to the fighting especially the ongoing war crimes, and have tried facilitating peace deals with no success. Many groups and anti-war activists around the world are calling for an end to the war and for the people to receive aid.
