The country of Sudan is poised to slide over the brink of collapse due to the escalating violence, human disasters, escalating conflict, as well as political impasses cause the country to plunge deeper into crisis. It began as a battle for power between rival Generals is now one of the most devastating conflicts. It has left thousands of people homeless and the nation’s prospects for the future unclear.
A Nation at War With Itself
From April 2023 onwards, Sudan has been gripped by a bloody conflict with two sides: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. A once fragile alliance following the demise of the long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir has collapsed into the full-on war.
Conflict has erupted across the capital city, Khartoum, to Darfur and the surrounding regions and other regions, causing the violence of ethnic groups and massacres. Witnesses have reported massacres, massive graves and looting in the streets. It is the UN advises the situation is quickly getting worse, and there is no sign of a compromise between factions.
Humanitarian Catastrophe
The conflict has displaced over 10 million Sudanese out of their home which makes it the biggest displacement issue in the world. Food supplies decrease and convoys of humanitarian aid are constantly attacked. The hospitals have been demolished or left in ruins and millions are without accessibility to healthcare services of a basic nature.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently called the crisis “a scar on the world’s conscience,” warning the world that, if there is no immediate intervention, “Sudan risks becoming a failed state.”
Regional and Global Fallout
The turmoil in Sudan could destabilize the larger Horn of Africa and Sahel areas. The countries around it, which are struggling with their own financial and political problems have been stricken by the flood of refugees. The international mediation efforts spearheaded by African Union and United States have not yet made any improvements.
Western powerhouses are concerned they Sudan may become a refuge for terrorist groups, as world powers such as Russia and Gulf states look for ways to increase influence via Sudan’s strategically important Red Sea ports and mineral riches.
A Country at a Crossroads
In the everyday lives of Sudanese citizens, everyday living is a constant battle between fears, hunger, and a sense of uncertainty. “Every day is about survival,” declared one Khartoum residents who fled when the neighborhood she lived in was smashed. “We don’t know when this nightmare will end.”
There is no willingness on either side to compromise and the civilians bearing the brunt of suffering, Sudan stands on the edge–of crumbling, disintegration as well as a long-lasting humanitarian disaster that may ripple throughout the world.
