Sudan is bleeding. Since April 2023, a brutal civil war has pitted the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia with roots in the Janjaweed, responsible for the Darfur genocide two decades ago. The fall of El Fasher—the capital of North Darfur—on October 26, 2025, marks a grim turning point. But this is not just a Sudanese conflict. It is a proxy war, fueled by foreign money, weapons, and ambition.
The Fall of El Fasher: A City of Suffering
For 18 months, El Fasher was under siege. Then it fell—quickly, brutally. In the first 72 hours, more than 1,500 civilians were killed. Most were from the Masalit tribe, targeted in what survivors describe as systematic ethnic cleansing. Hospitals were bombed, medical staff kidnapped, homes burned. Mass graves dot the outskirts. Those who escaped describe a city of ghosts—a place where the atrocities of the 2000s have returned, this time with more sophisticated weapons and even less global attention.
Foreign Hands on Sudanese Soil
Behind the RSF’s brutal efficiency lies the shadow of the United Arab Emirates. Multiple reports confirm the UAE has supplied the militia with armored vehicles, drones, and small arms. Why? For gold. For the Red Sea port of Suakin. For regional influence. By backing the RSF, the UAE secures access to Sudan’s vast mineral wealth while undermining the official government in Khartoum. This is not aid—it is outsourcing war. And the world has responded with little more than statements of concern.
A War Waged on the Helpless
The numbers are staggering, almost beyond comprehension:
-
Over 20,000 dead
-
13 million displaced—one of the largest internal displacement crises in the world
-
30 million in need of humanitarian aid
-
25 million facing severe hunger
In Darfur, the RSF uses starvation as a tactic. Roads are blocked. Aid convoys are turned back. The result is a man-made famine in a land that was once the breadbasket of the region.
The World Watches—and Waits
International responses have been slow, fragmented, and painfully inadequate. The UN condemns. The African Union deliberates. The EU issues statements. The US sanctions a few RSF commanders. But no one has stopped the flow of weapons. No one has intervened to protect civilians. In the age of live-streamed wars, Sudan’s suffering remains strangely invisible—a silence that suits those who profit from the chaos.
Is Peace Possible?
There are roads to peace, but they are littered with obstacles:
-
A ceasefire that integrates the RSF into the national army
-
A transitional government that includes civilian voices
-
National reconciliation that addresses decades of trauma
But none of this will happen as long as foreign powers treat Sudan as a chessboard. The UAE must end its support for the RSF. The international community must enforce an arms embargo. And Sudan’s leaders—military and civilian—must choose the nation over their own power.
Conclusion: We Have Been Here Before
Two decades ago, the world vowed “never again” after Darfur. Today, we are watching “again” unfold in real time. The fall of El Fasher is not just the loss of a city. It is the failure of humanity. But within Sudan, there is still resistance—local committees documenting crimes, doctors working without supplies, ordinary people sharing what little they have. Their courage is a flicker of light in a very dark night. It is time the world learned to see by it.
Altuma’s children are playing inside their shelter. Displaced by the conflict from their home in Khartoum, the family has had to move several times and is currently living in an old building without a roof over its head
