In a world saturated with crises, where headlines fixate on the war in Gaza and the invasion of Ukraine, another devastating conflict has unfolded largely unnoticed. For two years, Sudan’s civil war has consumed cities, erased communities, and displaced millions—yet it has barely pierced the global conversation.
That changed dramatically on March 21st, 2025, when the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) broke through the last defenses of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum. The fall of the presidential palace, once the symbolic heart of Sudan’s civilian government, marked a seismic shift in the country’s bloody civil war. But this apparent victory raises more questions than it answers.
Is the war nearing its end—or just entering a more dangerous chapter? Could Sudan finally stabilize, or is this the start of a wider regional collapse?
Let’s rewind, unpack the roots of this conflict, trace the blood-soaked battlefields, and explore what this dramatic turn might mean for Sudan and the rest of the world.
A Two-Year Descent Into Hell
Sudan’s civil war erupted on April 15th, 2023, but its origins trace back further. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), under Mohamed “Hemedti” Hamdan Dagalo, were once uneasy partners in power. In 2021, they co-led a military coup that deposed Sudan’s civilian government.
But uneasy alliances don’t last long. Fueled by personal ambition and clashing visions for Sudan’s future, the generals turned on each other, and a brutal nationwide war began.
The Battle for Khartoum: A Capital in Ruins
Sudan’s once-thriving capital, Khartoum, became the war’s epicenter. Home to over 8 million people before the conflict, today only about 2 million remain, barely surviving in a devastated urban wasteland.
According to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, more than 26,000 people were killed in Khartoum alone from April 2023 to June 2024. And this was before the most recent wave of heavy fighting. To put this into perspective, that’s more than half the death toll reported in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Entire neighborhoods were flattened. Banks were blown open. Skyscrapers torched. Vehicles left bullet-ridden in abandoned streets. Mass killings, kidnappings, and aerial bombardments of civilian zones became part of daily life.
Darfur: The RSF’s Stronghold and the War’s Deepest Atrocities
While Khartoum burned, the war raged westward in Darfur—the RSF’s home turf and a region with a long, painful history of genocide and ethnic violence.
When the RSF captured El Geneina in 2023, up to 15,000 members of the Masalit ethnic group were killed in targeted massacres. In Zamzam refugee camp, where half a million people remain trapped, an RSF-imposed blockade has triggered a famine of biblical proportions.
Reports from NGOs and independent media describe RSF fighters enslaving civilians and torturing prisoners. Entire towns became ghost cities haunted by war crimes so horrifying that many outlets won’t even print the details.
The Turning of the Tide: From Collapse to Counteroffensive
As of mid-2024, it looked like the SAF might collapse. The RSF had seized Darfur, most of Khartoum, and key southern provinces like Gezira and Sennar.
Then came a stunning reversal.
In January 2025, the SAF broke a major RSF siege in Khartoum North. In February, they recaptured the entire sister city of Bahri, setting the stage for their March offensive on central Khartoum.
On March 21st, SAF troops stormed the presidential palace, once the ultimate symbol of RSF power. After 23 months of hell, one side finally appeared to be winning.
But at what cost?
A War Fueled by Foreign Powers
Neither the SAF nor RSF could have sustained this war for two years on their own. The longevity of the conflict is a direct result of foreign meddling, turning Sudan into a brutal proxy battlefield.
RSF’s Backers:
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United Arab Emirates: Supplied weapons via a disguised “field hospital” in Chad.
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Wagner Group: Offered air defense and tactical support.
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Chad, Libya, South Sudan, and Ethiopia: Source of mercenaries and fighters.
SAF’s Backers:
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Egypt: Traditional ally, though partially neutralized by UAE bribes.
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Iran: Began supplying weapons in late 2023, shifting the war’s momentum.
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Russia & Turkey: Playing both sides, seeking influence and access to Red Sea ports.
This foreign interference has transformed Sudan’s civil war into what some call a “Middle Power War”—a low-cost, high-stakes conflict where regional nations manipulate outcomes from the sidelines, and millions of civilians pay the price.
The Internal Battlefield: Ethnic Militias, Insurgents, and Alliances of Necessity
Sudan is a nation of diverse ethnicities and fractured loyalties. Many groups initially stayed neutral, weary of both the army and RSF. But as the RSF’s atrocities mounted, reluctant factions began aligning with the SAF—not out of loyalty, but survival.
Key developments:
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Islamist brigades and pro-democracy groups unexpectedly united behind the SAF.
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Ethnic militias in Darfur formed the Joint Protection Force, later aiding the army.
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Even former enemies of Burhan saw the RSF as a greater evil.
This fragile coalition, held together by shared horror, has been critical in recent SAF gains. But it is also a time bomb that may explode in the next phase of war.
The Battle Ahead: Darfur and the Dangers of Escalation
Khartoum may be retaken, but Darfur remains RSF territory. Vast, remote, and deeply embedded with RSF networks, the region presents a daunting challenge.
The SAF holds only a single outpost in Al-Fashir, which is under siege. The RSF has resumed offensive maneuvers, recapturing the crossroads town of Mellit, further tightening the noose around SAF forces.
Any SAF advance westward would be:
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Extremely bloody, with the RSF using guerilla tactics and desert hideouts.
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Politically destabilizing, risking the collapse of fragile alliances.
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Regionally explosive, with SAF threatening airstrikes on RSF bases in Chad and South Sudan—potentially triggering interstate war.
Could Sudan Split? The “Libya Model” Threat
In February 2025, the RSF and allies signed a political agreement in Nairobi, Kenya. They’ve drafted a new constitution and started forming a parallel government, effectively positioning themselves as rulers of western Sudan.
This de facto partition could mirror Libya’s endless civil war—a country fractured between east and west, stuck in a frozen conflict with no political solution in sight.
But unlike Libya, Sudan’s civilians are far less willing to tolerate a split. Many inside the country believe any future role for the RSF is unacceptable. With such polarization, peace feels elusive, and further escalation seems likely.
A Crisis the World Chose to Ignore
Despite being one of the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century—with 150,000+ dead, 25 million displaced, and famine affecting multiple regions—Sudan has been largely ignored by the global media, international institutions, and even the African Union.
As Western campuses protest Gaza and leaders scramble over Ukraine, Sudanese civilians suffer in near silence. Their suffering is not lesser—but it is less visible.
This isn’t just a tragedy—it’s a moral failure of international proportion.
What Comes Next?
The road ahead for Sudan is uncertain. The SAF’s victory in Khartoum is monumental, but it may only be the end of the beginning.
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Will SAF forces launch a full campaign into Darfur?
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Could Sudan become a permanently divided state?
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Will regional actors continue fanning the flames for their own gain?
What we do know is this: if the guns fall silent by the war’s third anniversary, it will be a miracle. But miracles need pressure—and pressure needs attention.
Sudan doesn’t need our pity. It needs our awareness, activism, and accountability—for the crimes already committed and for the peace that might still be possible.
🔎 Frequently Asked Questions
1. What triggered the Sudan civil war?
The war started as a power struggle between two former allies—General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the SAF and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) of the RSF—after a 2021 coup against the civilian government.
2. Why hasn’t this war received more media coverage?
Geopolitical focus has centered on higher-profile conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza. Sudan’s remoteness, media suppression, and lack of strategic Western interest have all contributed to its underreporting.
3. What’s the estimated death toll?
Estimates suggest over 150,000 deaths, though the real number may be higher due to underreporting in remote regions.
4. Could Sudan split into two countries?
It’s possible. The RSF has begun setting up a parallel government, echoing Libya’s partition. However, widespread domestic opposition to this idea could make it unsustainable.
5. Who are the main foreign actors involved?
UAE, Iran, Egypt, Russia, Turkey, and Chad have all played roles—some backing the RSF, others the army—further complicating peace prospects.
