Sudan’s ongoing civil war reached a new level of intensity on Thursday, as the national army launched a major offensive against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the powerful paramilitary group with which it has been locked in a brutal power struggle. The conflict, which has embroiled the country since April 2023, has wrought untold devastation, with up to 150,000 lives lost, millions displaced, and a humanitarian crisis unfolding that the United Nations has called one of the worst in the world. The latest assault, which saw government forces shell RSF positions in the capital Khartoum and its northern sister city Bahri, is believed to be the army’s most significant military move in months.
This article explores the nature of the conflict, its devastating effects on Sudan’s population, and the broader geopolitical and humanitarian ramifications. The war, far from a localized power struggle, has ignited one of the most alarming humanitarian disasters globally, with mass displacement, hunger, disease outbreaks, and even the specter of genocide threatening to tear Sudan apart.
The Offensive on Khartoum: An Army Bid to Regain Control
On Thursday, September 21, 2024, at dawn, the Sudanese Armed Forces launched a major offensive, targeting key RSF bases in Khartoum and Bahri. Since the onset of hostilities in April, the RSF had managed to seize control of large swathes of the capital, pushing the army back into defensive positions in Omdurman and surrounding regions. Thursday’s offensive marked the army’s first serious attempt to regain territory in months.
Witnesses described intense aerial bombardments and heavy artillery fire. Government troops reportedly crossed two key bridges over the Nile, critical infrastructure that had until then separated army-controlled zones from areas under RSF control. The advances signal a concerted effort by the army to retake strategic areas of the capital.
These military developments come just before Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York, possibly seeking international support and legitimacy for his regime’s efforts to win the war. It was a symbolic moment, as Burhan made the case for his government on the world stage while his troops engaged in fierce fighting back home.
The significance of this attack cannot be understated. It demonstrates the army’s determination to wrest control of the capital from the RSF, a paramilitary group that was formerly allied with the government but has since become its fiercest adversary. Since the war’s early days, the RSF has consolidated its power in Khartoum, and this offensive may represent the government’s last major bid to dislodge them.
The Root Causes of Sudan’s Civil War: Power, Greed, and Historical Grievances
Sudan has been no stranger to political instability and violence, but the current war between the army and the RSF can be traced back to deep-rooted tensions within the country’s political and military leadership. After the ousting of long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Sudan embarked on a fragile transition toward democracy. The transition was led by a joint civilian-military government under Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, but tensions within the ruling coalition soon emerged, especially between the army and the RSF.
The RSF, originally a militia formed from the notorious Janjaweed, played a critical role in ousting Bashir but soon began vying for greater political power. Under the leadership of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, the RSF became a powerful force in Sudan’s political landscape, amassing wealth through control of gold mines and smuggling routes. The power struggle between Hemedti and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the army, escalated in 2023, triggering the outbreak of war.
What began as a tussle for power in Khartoum has since spread across the country, igniting violence in several regions, including Darfur and the Kordofan provinces, and exacerbating already existing ethnic tensions.
The Human Cost: One of the World’s Worst Humanitarian Crises
The toll of the conflict on Sudan’s population has been nothing short of catastrophic. The UN estimates that as many as 150,000 people have been killed since April 2023, and the fighting shows no sign of abating. Moreover, more than 10 million people, representing about one-fifth of Sudan’s total population, have been displaced. Many have fled to neighboring countries like Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt, while others remain trapped in besieged cities or internally displaced camps, living under dire conditions.
The war has brought Sudan’s economy to its knees, leading to what the UN has described as the world’s largest hunger crisis. The conflict has paralyzed agricultural production, with farmers unable to plant crops or harvest existing ones due to ongoing violence. The result has been a dramatic spike in food insecurity, with millions of people now at risk of famine. The inability to grow food, combined with the disruption of supply chains, has led to widespread hunger, particularly in conflict zones such as Darfur and Khartoum.
The UN has warned that the war is producing “the world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis,” with the displaced population, including a significant number of children, facing extreme risks of starvation, disease, and violence. In its most recent report, the UN stated that more than two million people had fled to neighboring countries, while half of those displaced internally were children.
The Rising Threat of Disease: Cholera and a Health System in Collapse
As if war and hunger were not enough, Sudan is also grappling with a cholera epidemic. The outbreak, which has so far claimed more than 430 lives in just the past month, is spreading rapidly throughout the country. Cholera, an easily treatable disease in most stable contexts, has turned into a deadly epidemic in Sudan due to the collapse of healthcare systems and infrastructure.
The war has left many hospitals in ruins, and medical professionals are in short supply. Even in areas where healthcare facilities remain functional, the lack of clean water and medicine has severely hampered efforts to contain the epidemic. The health ministry has struggled to get treatment to affected areas, as ongoing fighting and blockades make it nearly impossible to deliver medical supplies to those in need.
The UN and other humanitarian organizations have called for immediate international assistance to address the cholera outbreak, warning that if left unchecked, the epidemic could claim thousands of lives, particularly in regions already suffering from famine and displacement.
A Humanitarian Crisis on All Fronts: Famine, Displacement, and Genocide Warnings
The humanitarian situation in Sudan has reached a breaking point, with no aspect of life unaffected by the ongoing war. Beyond the famine and cholera epidemic, there are mounting concerns about ethnic violence in Darfur, where there have been warnings of a potential genocide against non-Arabs. Darfur, a region already scarred by years of conflict during the Bashir regime, has seen a resurgence of violence as both the RSF and local militias have targeted civilians in brutal attacks. The UN has expressed alarm over reports of ethnic cleansing and mass atrocities, with the RSF and other militias accused of committing atrocities against civilians based on their ethnic identity.
In its recent report, the UN highlighted the severity of the crisis, noting that Sudan is now home to the largest hunger crisis in the world. Millions of people are unable to access food, clean water, or medical care, and there is little hope that the situation will improve as long as the fighting continues.
The Role of the International Community: Calls for Intervention and Aid
As the Sudanese conflict continues to spiral out of control, there are growing calls from the international community for an end to the fighting and for urgent humanitarian intervention. The UN has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilians, but these appeals have so far fallen on deaf ears. Both the army and the RSF have shown little interest in halting the violence, each seeking to consolidate its hold on power.
The situation in Sudan has drawn comparisons to other recent conflicts, such as the civil war in Syria, which similarly saw large-scale displacement, famine, and widespread destruction. International organizations, including the UN and the African Union, have expressed concern that without swift intervention, Sudan could become a failed state, with long-term ramifications for regional stability.
Moreover, the prospect of genocide in Darfur has prompted calls for the UN Security Council to take decisive action, potentially including peacekeeping missions or sanctions against those responsible for the atrocities. Yet, the deeply entrenched political interests of both warring parties and the broader geopolitical stakes have made it difficult for the international community to act decisively.
Conclusion: A War with No End in Sight
As Sudan’s army wages its largest offensive in months, the country’s future hangs in the balance. The conflict, driven by power struggles between the army and the RSF, has devastated the nation, plunging it into one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. With millions displaced, widespread hunger, and a cholera epidemic raging, the suffering of the Sudanese people shows no signs of abating. The international community faces a daunting challenge in finding a solution to a conflict that has already claimed far too many lives, but without immediate action, Sudan risks falling further into chaos.
