By Abayomi Azikiwe
During the visit of the Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to the White House during mid-November to purportedly discuss some $600 million in investments in the United States, the issue of the ongoing brutal conflagration taking place in the Republic of Sudan was discussed.
In line with various news reports, President Donald Trump told the Saudi prince that he was interested in ending the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the breakaway militia units commanded by Mohamad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) which has resulted in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of many more in various regions of the vast country of an estimated 52 million.
Nonetheless, since taking office in January 2025, Trump has falsely claimed to have ended another war in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between the central government based in Kinshasa and the M23 rebel group which is backed by neighboring Rwanda. Since signing a purported “peace proposal” between the foreign ministries of the DRC and Rwanda in late June, fighting is continuing in the eastern region while other clashes between the jihadist-oriented Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Kinshasa-backed military have accelerated in North Kivu province.
The conflict between the ADF and the DRC military was not encompassed in the documents signed by Kigali and Kinshasa in June and a subsequent “agreement” in November. This absence of any reference to the previously Ugandan-based ADF and the DRC armed forces strongly indicates that these “agreements” are only designed for publicity purposes by the White House and the State Department under the leadership of Marco Rubio.
ADF launched a series of attacks during mid-November which were obviously coordinated resulting in deaths, injuries and the destruction of housing facilities for displaced persons. The United Nations reported these atrocities, while the State Department remains largely silent on the ongoing instability in the eastern DRC.
A report published by the UN News Agency notes:
“The UN described it as one of the most appalling attacks in a new wave of violence by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed extremist rebel group. Four wards housing patients were set ablaze during the assault in Byambwe, a remote community about 60 kilometers west of Lubero in the restive North Kivu province, which has been plagued by fighting between a plethora of armed groups and national security forces for years. The Byambwe killings were part of a series of coordinated attacks carried out between 13 and 19 November in several localities of Lubero Territory. According to information gathered on the ground by UN human rights staff from the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission, 89 civilians were killed in total, including at least 20 women and an undetermined number of children. Other areas hit by the violence include Mabiango, Tunarudi, Sambalysa, Thucha and Butsili, where abuses ranged from abductions and the looting of medical supplies to the burning of homes and the destruction of property.”
Consequently, any close observer of U.S. foreign policy over the last 10 months could only conclude that proclamations of “peace agreements” must be regarded with profound skepticism. These claims of resolutions of conflicts by the White House have not resulted in the lessening of tensions on an international level.
The Russian Special Military Operation in Ukraine launched in February 2022 has advanced to the point of compelling the surrender of some troops deployed by Kyiv. Trump released yet another proposal to end the war which has drawn the ire of the European Union (EU), UK and the NATO-backed regime of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. This scheme would require the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine while disallowing Kyiv from becoming a member of NATO.
Recent Developments in the Republic of Sudan
On April 15, 2023, a rupture in the military structures in Sudan pitted the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the paramilitary militias of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Heavy fighting is continuing in South and North Kordofan states after the fall of the city of El Fasher in the North Darfur region.
There are massive atrocities being committed by the RSF which is said to be supported militarily by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The SAF under the command of General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan is supported by Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
However, the real losers in the war have been the Sudanese masses who are suffering immensely due to the fighting. Prior to the outbreak on April 15, 2023, the Sudan democracy movement was attempting to transform the country from a militarized state allied with imperialism to one where there could be a genuine debate over its future.
Objectively neither the SAF nor the RSF were committed to a democratic transformation. During December 2018, the workers, youth and professional associations began a series of protests over the rising costs of living. The demands were soon shifted to calling for the resignation of then President Omar Hassan al-Bashir who was overthrown by the military in April 2019.
Nonetheless, the people were not satisfied and continued their mass demonstrations including a sit-in at the defense headquarters in the capital of Khartoum. By June 2019, the SAF and RSF were anxious to end the demonstrations. These security and military forces opened fire on those occupying the area around the defense ministry killing untold numbers of people. Repeated efforts by various regional powers including the African Union (AU), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Saudi Arabia, the UAE, United Nations and the U.S., etc. could not reach a satisfactory accord with the various democratic organizations and the military factions. Therefore, by the time of the beginning of the SAF-RSF conflict, the transformation process was already imperiled.
Although the SAF which now controls the Sovereign Council, a configuration which was initially intended to provide a framework for democratic governance, supposedly welcomed the statement made by Trump during the visit of the Saudi prince and his delegation, in other reports the determination on the part of General al-Burhan to defeat the RSF remained unwavering.
A report published by the Sudan Tribune on November 21 notes that:
“The Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Friday renewed his determination to eradicate the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Al-Burhan affirmed that the army would proceed with crushing what he described as the ‘rebellion’ through a military operation. Addressing a crowd of citizens in the city of Al-Qutayna in White Nile state, he said, ‘The Armed Forces and their supporting forces are determined to eliminate the rebellious militia and completely eradicate it.’ He stressed that ‘this path is irreversible until this militia is annihilated and every inch of the homeland is purified… Either these people are not present, or we are not present.’”
With such statements attributed to the SAF commander it will take far more than empty promises by the White House to bring a lasting peace to Sudan. Unless the conflict between the SAF and RSF can be brought to a close, the dangers of further violence and balkanization will be upon the tens of millions of workers, farmers and youth of Sudan.
Sudan and the Struggle Against Imperialism
There has been more attention focused on the internal crisis in Sudan in recent months with many international organizations citing the urgency of the deteriorating security situation. The crisis in Sudan is being raised right alongside the ongoing genocide in Gaza against the Palestinians.
With specific reference to Sudan, many of the progressive democratic forces have rejected both sides in the intra-military conflict. Even if the SAF eventually prevails over the RSF, this will not resolve the question of democratic rule and the empowerment of the majority of people inside the country.
Earlier in 2025, the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) dismissed both military factions regarding the legitimacy of their political positions in the conflict:
“The Sudanese Communist Party on Thursday declared its opposition to the formation of two rival governments in Sudan, asserting that neither the army nor the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are qualified to govern the country. Salih Mahmoud, the Communist Party’s foreign relations secretary, met with Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the head of the AU’s High-Level Implementation Panel, and other officials on Wednesday at the African Union (AU) headquarters. Mahmoud told Sudan Tribune that he presented Chambas with the party’s position, which rejects the establishment of separate governments in Port Sudan and RSF-controlled areas, citing the lack of legitimacy of both sides. He argued that any such governments would be de facto authorities, lacking popular and constitutional support and that neither the army nor the RSF and their allies are entitled to determine the fate of the Sudanese people.”
Therefore, the only real solution will be dependent upon the organization and mobilization of the popular forces in Sudan. This process may not be an immediate one, nonetheless, it is imperative to ensure a peaceful future for the people.
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