In April 2023, Sudan was thrown into chaos when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. What began as a power struggle quickly escalated into a full-scale war – one that has devastated the country and its people.
The roots of the conflict lie in Sudan’s complex political history. After decades of dictatorship under Omar al-Bashir, hopes for democracy surged in 2019 when a civilian-led revolution ousted him. But the transitional path was fragile. In 2021 the military staged a coup, derailing progress. Tensions between the SAF and RSF – who had once been allies – deepened as both sought control over Sudan’s future and its resources.
When fighting broke out in Khartoum, civilians were the first to suffer. Families fled with nothing, women faced increasing violence, cities like Khartoum and Madani became ghost towns – ruined by war and overtaken by chaos. The RSF, in particular, has been accused of atrocities – mass killings, looting, ethnic targeting and sexual violence – especially in the Darfur region, where fears of genocide have returned.