By Abayomi Azikiwe
In late October and early November, the collapse of the Republic of Sudan military forces and authorities in El Fasher, represented a major defeat for the government headed by Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan.
Since April 2023, the split between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a purported para-military operation which was founded under the ousted government of former President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, has resulted in massive destruction, displacement, injuries and deaths.
Although the SAF retook the capital of Khartoum several months ago, other areas including the western Darfur region and North Kordofan state remain under RSF control. The Deputy Commander of the SAF, Lt.-Gen. Yasir al-Atta, has pledged to retake the areas seized by the RSF under the leadership of Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo (Hemedti).
News reports of atrocities carried out by RSF fighters in El Fasher have drawn the ire of people throughout Sudan, Africa and the international community. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled El Fasher seeking security, food, water, healthcare and housing.
According to a report published by the Sudan Tribune on November 5, it conveys the message that the SAF will intensify its military campaign aimed at reversing the current situation, noting:
“The Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Yasir al-Atta, on Tuesday vowed to achieve a decisive victory against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), predicting their imminent collapse in the states of Kordofan and the Darfur region. This came during a meeting with leaders of the Joint Force in Khartoum, held on the sidelines of the National Security and Defense Council meeting. Al-Atta said in his speech that the RSF (referred to as Janjaweed) ‘will flee from Kordofan’ just as they fled from the areas of Al-Jaili, Omdurman, Bahri, East Nile, Khartoum, Al Jazirah, Sennar, and White Nile. He added: ‘They will flee soon from Kordofan. And they will flee soon from every inch of our beloved land in Darfur.’”
Thousands of those that have fled El Fasher have arrived in the town of Tawila also in North Darfur. The people arriving in Tawila have told SAF government officials and armed groups which are allied with Gen. al-Burhan, the head of the so-called Sovereign Council, of the atrocities they experienced and witnessed in El Fasher.
The Sudan Tribune said of the conditions in El Fasher that:
“The Jebel Marra Coordination Council in the Tawila area of North Darfur state said on Tuesday that about 1,300 people with gunshot wounds have arrived from El Fasher. More than 5,000 individuals have arrived in Tawila out of 70,000 people who fled El Fasher after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control on Oct. 26. The council said the RSF committed numerous atrocities, including mass killings, sexual violence, humiliation, and extortion.”
This conflict between the former allies of SAF and RSF has caused tremendous problems in Sudan since April 2023. The democratic movement which led demonstrations against the former President al-Bashir beginning in December 2018 has been completely overshadowed by the armed conflict within the military apparatus.
After the continuation of the mass demonstrations in Khartoum and other areas, the military forces including both the SAF and RSF overthrew the administration of al-Bashir. Although al-Bashir was removed in April 2019, the democratic forces inside the country refused to end their demonstrations demanding that the military return to the barracks in order to pave the way for multiparty elections.
During a sit-in involving thousands outside the Ministry of Defense in Khartoum during early June 2019, the security forces reportedly in conjunction with the paramilitary RSF cleared the area utilizing crowd control tactics including live ammunition, killing and injuring untold numbers of youth and workers.
It would take the combined diplomatic efforts by the African Union (AU) and other regional organizations to work out a truce which ostensibly would lead to stability and a transitional process towards democratic governance. However, after four years, the transitional plans which had continental and international support did not reach fruition.
On April 15, 2023, the RSF attacked the SAF headquarters in the capital of Khartoum forcing military personnel, governmental officials and civilians to flee the capital. Since 2023, the SAF and Sovereign Council have recaptured the capital after a two-year battle. It was not until March-May 2025 that the SAF was able to force the RSF fighters from the capital and its twin city of Omdurman.
Role of UAE and the United States
There have been allegations that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a close ally of the United States, has been arming and funding the RSF in their reign of terror against the people of Sudan. The UAE in a hearing during early 2025 before the United Nations Security Council not only denied their military support to the paramilitary group they countered by accusing the SAF and the Sovereign Council of not being willing to negotiate an end to the internal conflict.
The Middle East Eye website reported on the economic and political interests of the UAE in Sudan, saying:
“Today, Sudan offers the UAE an arena from which to project its power across the Red Sea and east Africa. The UAE holds significant interests in Sudan’s agricultural and mineral resources, many of which are untapped, including gold. The UAE has become a global trading hub in gold, in its attempts to diversify its oil-dependent economy. RSF networks help facilitate and secure these exports: Hemedti and his family own a gold company that operates on lands seized by the RSF in Darfur in 2017. His youngest brother, Algoney Dagalo, is a businessman based in the UAE. The UAE also controls several land and farming operations in Sudan, a country it has, for decades, positioned as an agricultural trade partner, amid fears of food insecurity across the Gulf.”
During the most intense phase of the U.S.-backed Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) war against the people of Yemen, in which the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia played a leading role, the Sudanese government during the final period of al-Bashir’s presidency sent troops to fight against the Ansur Allah resistance movement which had taken full control of Sana’a. Such a decision by al-Bashir involved the RSF as well which strengthened its relations with the UAE.
Despite efforts by the al-Bashir government to ingratiate itself with the GCC, the U.S. and its other imperialist allies, the economic conditions inside of Sudan continued to worsen. By late 2018, the fall in the value of the Sudanese pound resulted in its collapse triggering cash shortages and hyperinflation.
When the government issued a new currency in January 2019, the democracy movement was well underway with its objectives transformed from demonstrations against rising prices to demands that the former president resign. Although the movement was successful in creating the political conditions for the coup against al-Bashir, in April 2019, the Sudanese Professional Association (SPA), the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), among many other organizations were prevented by both military factions, the SAF and RSF, from instituting a consistent transition process.
Prospects for Peace in Sudan
Since the period of al-Bashir’s rule there were several efforts to end the wars in Darfur, North and South Kordofan. After the coup in 2019, negotiations occurred which brought several of the armed opposition groups into an alliance with the SAF.
However, the violent rupture between the two military factions has served to plunge this country into further uncertainty. Since April 2023, the number of displaced persons and refugees has accelerated.
A recent report issued by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) emphasized:
“Even before the war erupted in April 2023, Sudan was already experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis that left 15.8 million people in need of aid. Now, over two years of war have drastically worsened these conditions, displacing over 12 million people and leaving 30.4 million people—more than half of Sudan’s population—in need of humanitarian support. Sudan now represents the largest recorded and fastest displacement crisis in the world. It is also the largest humanitarian crisis ever recorded.”
There have been numerous attempts to negotiate a solution to the SAF-RSF war. Efforts of the AU, the regional Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Gulf states, the U.S., the United Nations among others have put forward proposals to end the war.
Unfortunately, talks over the last several weeks have not brought about even a humanitarian pause or ceasefire to allow civilians to pursue food, healthcare and housing. Nonetheless, the AU and other interested institutions must continue to work towards a lasting solution. The only alternative to resolving the internal conflict is further suffering and territorial divisions among various regions inside the country.
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