Sudan's Crisis: Urgent Action Needed to Prevent Catastrophe
- The civil war in Sudan has lasted for 17 months, with significant fighting reported between the SAF and RSF.
- The RSF has besieged El Fasher in Darfur, leading to severe humanitarian crises and widespread atrocities.
- Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's inability to resolve the conflict and his call for international intervention highlight the ongoing governance issues in Sudan.
Sudan is currently experiencing a devastating civil war that has persisted for 17 months, with heavy fighting reported between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has led to a stalemate, particularly around key urban areas like El Fasher in Darfur, where the RSF has besieged the city, resulting in severe humanitarian crises and widespread atrocities, including sexual violence against civilians. The RSF, previously known as the Janjaweed, has a notorious history linked to the genocide in Darfur in the early 2000s, which saw the indictment of former president Omar al-Bashir for war crimes. Following Bashir's ousting in 2019, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power in a coup in 2021, claiming to be the legitimate leader despite lacking electoral support. Burhan's recent statements at the UN suggest he is seeking international intervention to eliminate the RSF, reflecting his inability to resolve the conflict independently. However, diplomatic efforts appear futile, as evidenced by Burhan's boycott of peace talks in Switzerland. The ongoing war highlights Sudan's deep-rooted ethnic, racial, and economic divisions, exacerbated by decades of misgovernance and foreign interference, complicating the path to peace and stability in the region.