Aid workers have warned that one of the worst famines in decades could be under way in Sudan, a country in the middle of a civil war. According to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) starvation in war-stricken Sudan is almost everywhere.
The war has raged since April 2023 causing immense devastation and killing tens of thousands of civilians, unofficial estimates suggest up to 150,000. It has displaced more than 11 million people both internally and externally. Yet it goes largely unreported by the international media, which has concentrated more on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war against Hamas in Gaza and against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, are guilty of appalling crimes. The United States sanctioned a senior leader of the RSF, Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa (Algoney), for his involvement in RSF efforts to procure weapons and other military material that have enabled the RSF’s ongoing operations in Sudan.
Algoney’s actions have fueled the war and brutal RSF atrocities against civilians, which have included war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. But the sanctions have had little impact. The RSF and its allied militia have continued to commit atrocities, including those involving sexual violence and ethnically targeted attacks on non-Arab groups. There have been warnings of genocide in Western Darfur, where black residents claim they have been targeted by fighters based upon their color.
The situation continues to worsen, with thousands more fleeing across borders. In just the first week of October, more than 8,000 people fled into Chad. The UNHCR, in cooperation with Chad’s government and local partners, is preparing for more refugees. Efforts are being ramped up to provide protection, monitor conditions, and offer essential services such as water, sanitation, shelter, and healthcare.
The delivery of humanitarian aid, however, remains difficult. Within Sudan, ongoing hostilities, rampant insecurity, and rising crime have severely hampered aid efforts. Many aid agencies, including the UNHCR and its partners, have been forced to suspend their activities in certain areas, leaving millions who rely on this assistance to survive in an even more precarious position.
In the meanwhile, the Sudanese army is pressing on with an offensive attempting to retake the capital Khartoum and regain control from the RSF, despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire. Diplomatic attempts to negotiate a cessation of hostilities have failed to make progress.
The army is trying to take the capital in hopes of securing leverage for future peace talks, but despite recent advances, the army is far from controlling the entire city. The RSF is also fighting the army and its allied armed groups in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. While the RSF controls four out of five Darfur states – East, West, Central and South – it has struggled to conquer North Darfur, which has put up fierce resistance.
The battle for Khartoum may determine the direction of the war in Sudan. The Sudanese army is trying to recapture Khartoum, as well as other major cities in north and central Sudan so it can then shift the focus of the conflict to Darfur. That’s where the RSF enjoys support from its “Arab” tribal base.
But it is impossible to say how long the war might go on; it is unlikely that any single battle will determine the outcome of the war. The Sudanese people deserve peace and justice and a return to civilian government. But there are no signs that this is on the horizon. There needs to be a large-scale international intervention to stave off what risks to become a humanitarian catastrophe if the warring factions continue their struggle on the battlefield.
Unfortunately, much foreign intervention has so far taken the form of arms and military supplies, with allegations levelled against Russia, Egypt, the UAE, Iran and others for stoking the crisis. The extent of foreign interference is not clear, but only last week the RSF claimed to have shot down a cargo transport plane carrying military equipment and medicines to the army held city of El Fasher. Both the UAE and Egypt deny that they have been supplying arms to the protagonists in the conflict.
What is however clear is that more can and should be done by the international community to prevent the import of arms into the war zone, notwithstanding the huge task involved in controlling trade across such a huge area with porous land borders.
The United States is providing the international community with leadership in trying to limit the supply of arms to the warring factions. They have imposed sanctions against Mirghani Idris Suleiman (Idris), a senior leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). As Director General of the U.S.-designated Defense Industries System, the SAF’s primary weapons production and procurement arm, Idris has led its efforts to procure weapons and expand the war. The Sudanese Armed Forces have prioritized weapons acquisition, including procuring drones from Iran and Russia, rather than heeding calls for peace. These deals included a port-for-weapons exchange with Russia, escalating the brutality of SAF’s war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In mid-November, Washington also sanctioned Abdel Rahman Joma’a Barakallah for his leadership role in the RSF. Barakallah has been directly involved in the planning of the execution of the RSF’s campaign in West Darfur, including playing a key role in the kidnapping and killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abbakar. Washington believes that as RSF West Darfur commander, Barakallah is responsible for the RSF’s activities across the region and the terror unleashed on the local population.
This war has featured widespread attacks on civilians and public infrastructure. More than 11 million Sudanese people have been displaced and over 21 million face acute hunger. The Sudanese people deserve peace, justice, and a return to civilian government. The U.S. has been leading the way with initiatives to push for peace and impose costs on those perpetuating the conflict and suffering of the Sudanese people. They need greater support from the international community to prioritize this work.
