What's happened
Since April 2023, Sudan's civil war has caused thousands of deaths, mass displacement, and a humanitarian crisis. Foreign actors, including the UAE, Iran, and Turkey, supply weapons to both sides. UN warns of war crimes, while fighting continues with drone strikes and attacks on civilians.
What's behind the headline?
The ongoing Sudanese conflict is driven by complex regional and international interests. Foreign support for both the SAF and RSF has prolonged the violence, with accusations of weapon smuggling and political backing from the UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Turkey. The UN warns that repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure may constitute war crimes, and the push to designate the RSF as a terrorist organization aims to curb its destructive actions. The conflict's escalation, including drone strikes on strategic locations like Port Sudan and Sinja, indicates a deepening regional destabilization. The war's continuation will likely worsen the humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and critical infrastructure damaged. The international community faces a dilemma: balancing diplomatic pressure with the risk of further escalation, while efforts to hold perpetrators accountable remain vital for long-term peace.
What the papers say
Al Jazeera reports that foreign actors, including the UAE, Iran, and Turkey, are involved in arming Sudanese factions, with the UN warning of war crimes and atrocities committed by both sides. The New Arab highlights the devastating impact of RSF attacks, including the recent storming of El-Fashir and drone strikes targeting civilians and infrastructure, with calls for the militia to be designated as a terrorist organization. The articles emphasize the regional implications, with Sudan's strategic Red Sea coast attracting foreign interest and complicating peace efforts, while the economic fallout worsens the humanitarian crisis, as detailed by The New Arab's analysis of Sudan's economic collapse and ongoing conflict.
How we got here
The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group with roots in the Janjaweed militia. Foreign nations have supplied arms, including drones, to both sides, fueling the violence. The war has led to widespread displacement, humanitarian crises, and accusations of war crimes, with the UN calling for justice and ceasefire.
Go deeper
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The Rapid Support Forces are Sudanese paramilitary forces operated by the Sudanese Government. The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias which fought on behalf of the Sudanese government during the War in Darfur, killing an
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Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in North-East Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southe
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Khartoum or Khartum is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan, the sixth-largest in Africa, the second-largest in North Africa, and the fourth-largest in the Arab world.
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The United Arab Emirates, sometimes simply called the Emirates, is a sovereign state in Western Asia at the northeast end of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south and west, as well as sharing m