Since October, the conflict in Sudan has lingered in the shadows of global attention amid the Israel-Hamas war.
But late last month, rival generals, entrenched in a months-long war, agreed to convene face-to-face discussions aimed at brokering a much-needed cease-fire.
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The question that now looms is whether this pivotal meeting will mark a decisive step towards ending Sudan’s harrowing and largely overlooked conflict, or whether it will amount to nothing more than further disagreement. Already on Friday, Sudan’s armed forces chief seemed to backtrack on last month’s agreement to reopen negotiations with the insurgent paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
How did the war in Sudan begin?
The Sudanese conflict remains largely underreported and concealed from the world. This, at least in part, is due to the hazardous conditions preventing adequate reporting of the ongoing atrocities. Journalists and citizens face significant dangers and communication outages, so gaining a solid understanding of the events on the ground is near impossible
The war began on April 15 after months of growing tensions between military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the RSF paramilitary. Both emerged as influential leaders following the 2019 ousting of former dictator, Omar al-Bashir.
In October 2021 both leaders orchestrated a military coup, overthrowing the civilian-led government headed by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. This abrupt upheaval disrupted Sudan’s progress toward democratic governance and received widespread condemnation.
In response, Khartoum and other cities witnessed mass protests with the public demanding the restoration of democratic transition. Tensions escalated between Burhan and Dagalo, who is more commonly known as Hemedti, eventually culminating in a violent clash on April 15, spreading across Khartoum and other urban areas.
“Not just a civil war”
The world views the conflict in Sudan as a “civil war between two leaderships [the leaders of the military and the Rapid Support Forces]” said Abeer Tariq, a Sudanese lawyer living in the Italian city of Milan, and who specializes in international legal studies. “But the issue is bigger than just a civil war,” she said, referring to the RSF militia which the al-Bashir regime used to quash and fight rebels in Darfur.
“The majority of the RSF were not Sudanese. They came from Chad, Niger and other African countries,” she said. “So the rapes, looting, and theft that occur are in part due to the fact that this country is not their own!”
We saw bodies lying in the streets.
Abeer traveled to Sudan to spend the month of Ramadan and Eid with her family. They woke up on April 15 to the sound of bullets. She fled the capital, Khartoum, and headed to the Red Sea city of Port Sudan.
She was one of the lucky ones, holding a European passport and was evacuated on a ship from the Port.
Abeer’s journey from Khartoum to Port Sudan was not easy. “The situation on the street was tragic. While we were on the bus, we saw bodies lying in the streets. We also passed many Rapid Support Forces checkpoints. There were no army checkpoints. We did not see a single army officer,” she said.
Most of the Rapid Support fighters were young, some as young as 16. “They were children holding weapons that they didn’t know how to use,” she said.
Abeer said RSF militia searched everyone, including children and toddlers. They seized whatever jewelry or money people had. They looted everything, she said.
As for those who worked for the government, the militias would take them away. They wouldn’t tell anyone where they were taking them or what their fate would be, she said.
What is the RSF?
The Rapid Support Forces grew out of the Janjaweed militia, which was founded by Musa Helal. Helal was the leader of the Mahameed clan, which descends from the Arab Ruziqat tribe. Hemedti comes from the same tribe.
The RSF were responsible for the rebel groups who fought in Darfur, guarded the borders, and combated smuggling operations. The RSF also fought in Yemen’s civil war alongside the Saudi-led coalition.
The RSF sided with the protests that helped topple al-Bashir in April 2019.
Horrors of war
The deadlock between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has prolonged the conflict, preventing either side from achieving a decisive victory. Analysts note the RSF’s advantage in several battles, operating with a guerrilla-style strategy that outmatches the military, especially in urban confrontations.
The RSF’s dominance extends across much of Khartoum, and their recent capture of Wad Madani in the country’s center underscores their control. Meanwhile, the military commands the eastern and northern regions.
Unique to Sudan’s conflict is the stark challenge in reporting; journalists and citizens struggle to document the grim realities. Massacres, displacements, rape, and atrocities against women and children occur in the shadows, largely unseen.
The toll of this conflict is dire, with over 12,000 lives lost and 7.1 million displaced
Despite being eight months into the conflict, international attention remains insufficient, prompting Sudanese influencers abroad and journalists to intensify efforts to shed light on the realities on the ground.
The toll of this conflict is dire, with more than 12,000 lives lost and 7.1 million displaced, including 1.5 million seeking refuge in neighboring nations, per the United Nations. Chad houses the largest number of Sudanese refugees, nearing half a million, according to the latest data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The UN has labeled the displacement crisis in Sudan as the “largest in the world”, underlining the urgent need for attention and humanitarian assistance.
A war marked by rape
The most vulnerable groups of Sudanese society bear the brunt of the horrendous rights violations.
Rehab Mubarak Sayed Ahmed, a member of the Emergency Lawyers Group, told the BBC that their group, alongside others, has documented approximately 260 cases of rape throughout Sudan during the conflict.
“These cases constitute only one percent of the actual cases, because there are many women and girls who are afraid to talk about being raped,” she said.
While opinions vary on whether the Sudanese army is involved in these rape crimes, there is a widespread consensus that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are predominantly responsible for these violations. Multiple witnesses and reports support this claim.
Analysts have documented approximately 260 cases of rape throughout Sudan during the conflict.
A Masalit refugee from Darfur told AFP about the tragic loss of five of her children at the hands of RSF members. She recounted how the RSF not only killed numerous men but also subjected girls to rape.
“They raped women and killed young people,” she said. “They killed [people with] dark skin. They were saying that the Tama and Burqo [two tribes] were with them, but what we saw was that it was the RSF that caused the most harm.”
Non-Arab tribes like the Masalit face an alarming risk of ethnic cleansing at the hands of the RSF, perpetrating horrifying acts including mass murder, sexual violence, as well as looting and plundering.
