At least 150,000 people have been killed in Sudan’s civil conflict, and about 12 million have fled their homes, leading to what the United Nations and other aid organisations describe as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
By LInda Bordoni
While the devastating war continues to reap death and destruction amid what appears to be global indifference, cholera cases continue to spread across the country, with tens of thousands of children particularly vulnerable to the outbreak.
Sudan plunged into a civil war in April 2023 after a struggle for power broke out between its army and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
It has led to a famine, rampant disregard for International Law and the rights of civilians, and claims of genocide in the western Darfur region.
African Union concerns
In the run-up to scheduled peace talks this week, just days after the RSF announced the formation of a 15-member governing council and the establishment of a parallel government, the African Union is pushing back.
The bloc is urging member states and the international community not to recognise the rival government, warning that the RSF’s move could further fragment Sudan and threaten to unravel any remaining hopes for a negotiated settlement.
Currently, the army maintains control over Khartoum and much of the north, east, and central regions, while the RSF holds sway over most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan, where recent attacks have killed hundreds, according to local human rights groups.
One of the poorest countries in the world
Even before the war, Sudan was one of the poorest countries in the world, despite the fact it is a gold-producing nation. In the past decade or so, the powerful RSF’s leader, General Dagalo, has built it into a powerful force that has intervened in conflicts in Libya and Yemen. He reportedly controls some of Sudan’s gold mines and allegedly smuggles the metal to rich Gulf states.
The RSF’s plans to form a rival government have raised fears the nation could split for a second time, after seceding from South Sudan in 2011.
