Sudan's current state

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war stemming from a bitter power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”), with both sides vying for control of the country’s future.  What began as internal political tensions has escalated into a nationwide conflict that has spread across Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan, and other regions, marked by intense battles, shifting territorial control, and repeated atrocities against civilians.  Over nearly three years of fighting, tens of thousands have been killed and more than 14 million people forcibly displaced, creating what the United Nations describes as one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

Major turning points include the RSF’s early occupation of key locations such as Khartoum International Airport (later recaptured by the SAF) and prolonged sieges on towns like Al-Fasher and Kadugli in North and South Kordofan, where famine conditions were confirmed and food access was disastrously limited before the army broke parts of the siege in early 2026.  Throughout 2024 and 2025, both sides have launched offensives — with territory like Sennar State briefly changing hands and RSF capturing strategic hubs such as Babanusa — even as neither side has been able to deliver a lasting peace.

Humanitarian conditions have deteriorated sharply, with famine threats spreading and acute malnutrition reaching critical levels, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan, and assault drones causing civilian casualties, including children and displaced families.  Efforts at negotiated ceasefires — including a humanitarian truce proposal agreed by the RSF in late 2025 — have so far failed to stem the overall violence or significantly improve aid delivery.  As the conflict continues into its third year, regular attacks, sieges, and dire shortages of food and medical care underscore the ongoing suffering of the Sudanese population, with peace still elusive