What’s happening in Sudan’s civil war? | Start Here

Summary

The crisis in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, is escalating with fears of genocide as fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensifies. The conflict, fueled by ethnic tensions and external support, has led to near-total state collapse, massive displacement, and a humanitarian disaster with millions at risk of starvation. International efforts to resolve the conflict have been inadequate, and the world's response to Sudan's plight has been largely abandoned, despite the potential for regional and continental instability.

Takeaways

• 😥 Sudan is facing a severe humanitarian crisis with a risk of genocide in Darfur, particularly in the city of El Fasher.
• 🏰 The civil war in Sudan, which began over a year ago, has led to near-total state collapse and widespread fighting across the country.
• 🚨 The capital, Khartoum, is barely functioning, and international aid is struggling to reach those in need due to the ongoing conflict.
• 🔄 The conflict has deep roots, with the 2021 military coup derailing Sudan's democratic transition and igniting a power struggle between General Burhan and General Hemetti.
• 🏺 Darfur is a critical region where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Hemetti, are fighting against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for control.
• 🔪 There is an ethnic dimension to the conflict, with Arab militias aligned with the RSF targeting non-Arab groups, reminiscent of the 2000s when the Janjaweed militias committed atrocities.
• 🌍 International actors, including the UAE and Russia, are accused of fueling the war by supplying weapons to the warring parties, prolonging the conflict.
• 🌐 The crisis in Sudan has regional implications, potentially affecting the whole of Africa, but it is not a priority for the international community.
• 🆘 There is an urgent need for protection and humanitarian aid in El Fasher, where civilians are at risk of violence and starvation.
• 🤝 Diplomatic efforts to cease the fighting have been attempted, but the complexity of the conflict, involving multiple armed groups, makes finding a resolution challenging.

Q & A

苏丹达尔富尔地区的冲突是如何开始的？

苏丹达尔富尔地区的冲突始于2003年，当时非阿拉伯社区的反叛团体如扎加瓦、马萨利特和富尔族因感到被阿拉伯主导的政府忽视而起义反抗奥马尔·巴希尔政府。巴希尔政府通过武装当地的阿拉伯民兵，即金贾韦德，来对抗叛军，导致了大规模的杀戮、强奸、焚烧和人口流离失所。这场暴力冲突导致了达尔富尔地区长达数十年的不稳定和人道主义危机。

苏丹首都喀土穆目前的情况如何？

苏丹首都喀土穆目前几乎无法正常运作，由于苏丹武装部队和快速支援部队之间的冲突已经扩散到包括喀土穆在内的多个地区，造成了严重的政治不稳定、人道主义紧急情况和广泛的人权侵犯。

达尔富尔地区的种族暴力是如何加剧的？

达尔富尔地区的种族暴力自2023年4月以来加剧，当时苏丹武装部队和快速支援部队之间的战斗蔓延到了该地区。快速支援部队，源自2000年代初期的金贾韦德民兵，已经开始针对马萨利特等非阿拉伯族群和其他社区进行攻击，这些攻击包括大规模杀戮、性暴力和系统性摧毁村庄。

苏丹的人道主义危机有多严重？

苏丹正面临世界上最大的人道主义危机之一。据联合国估计，约有2500万人需要人道主义援助，其中超过1400万儿童。此外，有超过870万人因冲突而流离失所，他们在国内或邻国寻求庇护，使得苏丹成为世界上最大的流离失所危机。

国际社会对苏丹达尔富尔地区的冲突有何反应？

国际社会对苏丹达尔富尔地区的冲突表示严重关切。联合国安全理事会通过了决议，要求苏丹的快速支援部队停止对北达尔富尔州首府埃尔法希尔的围攻，并允许人道主义援助进入。此外，联合国秘书长安东尼奥·古特雷斯呼吁立即停止敌对行动，并恢复政治对话作为解决冲突的唯一途径。

苏丹的饥饿危机有多严重？

苏丹的饥饿危机非常严重，据联合国估计，约有1800万人面临饥饿，其中约500万人处于饥饿的边缘。苏丹正面临其历史上最严重的急性粮食不安全水平，包括在达尔富尔、南科尔多凡、青尼罗河州、阿贾兹拉州和喀土穆等地有超过755,000人处于灾难性的食物短缺状态。

达尔富尔地区的种族清洗是否构成种族灭绝？

有报告指出，达尔富尔地区的暴力行为与2000年代初期的种族灭绝行为模式相似，苏丹律师穆塔西姆·阿里表示，快速支援部队对达尔富尔的非阿拉伯群体使用系统性的非人化方法，这与2000年代初期的种族灭绝行为模式相同。因此，一些人权组织和专家警告说，达尔富尔可能正面临另一场种族灭绝。

苏丹的医疗系统是否受到冲突的影响？

是的，苏丹的医疗系统受到冲突的严重影响。世界卫生组织警告说，由于苏丹敌对双方之间的激烈战斗，使得进入北达尔富尔首府埃尔法希尔的通道“完全不可能”，导致800,000人被困在没有足够食物、水或医疗支持的地区。

苏丹的人道主义援助是否得到充分资助？

苏丹的人道主义援助远未得到充分资助。世界卫生组织官员表示，苏丹的人道主义应急响应目前只有26%的资金到位，他将此紧急情况描述为“世界上最糟糕的情况之一”。

苏丹的洪水灾害情况如何？

苏丹的洪水灾害严重，自雨季开始以来，大雨和洪水持续造成破坏，导致数十万人流离失所，基础设施受损，道路通行受阻，并增加了疾病爆发的风险。据苏丹洪水仪表板显示，自6月以来，已有超过442,600人受到影响，至少124,600人因洪水而流离失所。

Outlines

00:00

🔥 Sudan's Looming Genocide and Humanitarian Crisis

The paragraph discusses the escalating conflict in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, where the risk of genocide is imminent. The city of El Fasher is under siege with attacks primarily targeting civilian homes. The situation has been exacerbated by a civil war that erupted over a year ago, leading to near-total state collapse. The country is now facing the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with international attention and aid lacking. The paragraph also provides a historical context, highlighting the military coup in 2021 that derailed Sudan's democratic transition, leading to a power struggle between General Burhan and General Hemetti, who lead the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), respectively. The conflict has resulted in regionalized battles with various armed groups, including the RSF's control over most of the West and the capital, Khartoum.

05:00

🏹 Targeting Civilians: The Brutality in Darfur

This paragraph delves into the specifics of the conflict in Darfur, where the RSF is attempting to gain control over the region by targeting the city of Al Fasher. The RSF's tactics include cutting off essential resources like water, leading to a humanitarian crisis. The paragraph also discusses the ethnic dimension of the war, with Arab militias aligned with the RSF targeting non-Arab communities, reminiscent of the 2000s when the Sudanese government armed local Arab militias to fight against non-Arab rebel groups. The violence has resulted in significant displacement and loss of life, with the potential for genocide as evidenced by recent attacks and the historical pattern of violence in the region.

10:01

🌍 International Involvement and the Quest for Resolution

The final paragraph addresses the international community's role in the Sudan conflict. It highlights the involvement of external actors such as the UAE, which is accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, and Russia, which appears to be backing both sides. The paragraph also mentions diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, including talks facilitated by Egypt and the UAE, and a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and aid delivery. However, it underscores the complexity of finding a resolution due to the multitude of armed groups involved, especially in Darfur. The paragraph concludes with a call for increased global political will to address the crisis, noting the potential regional and continental implications of the ongoing war in Sudan.

Keywords

💡Darfur

Darfur is a region in western Sudan that has experienced a long history of conflict and humanitarian crises. The term is used in the video script to highlight the ongoing violence and risk of genocide. It is a place where various ethnic groups have suffered due to the actions of militias and armed forces, as referenced in the script and supported by the reports of widespread atrocities and human rights abuses [^12^].

💡Genocide

Genocide refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as a potential risk in Darfur, with historical precedents from the early 2000s and current indicators suggesting a possible recurrence, as noted by the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide [^12^].

💡Civil War

A civil war is a large-scale conflict between factions within the same country, often recognized by high levels of violence and territorial control disputes. The script mentions that Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war that began just over a year ago, leading to a near-total state collapse and significant humanitarian crisis [^12^].

💡Ethnic Cleansing

Ethnic cleansing is the forced removal of an ethnic group from a region with the intent of creating a demographically homogeneous area. It is a term used in the video to describe the actions of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been reported to target non-Arab communities in Darfur, reminiscent of past atrocities [^12^].

💡Humanitarian Crisis

A humanitarian crisis is a situation that exists when people are unable to meet their basic human needs, often as a result of conflict or disaster. The video script describes Sudan as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with millions of people in need of assistance and protection [^12^].

💡Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are a Sudanese paramilitary group that has been involved in the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The script and search results highlight their role in the fighting, particularly in Darfur, where they have been accused of perpetrating violence against civilians and potential war crimes [^12^][^16^].

💡Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) are the regular military forces of Sudan. In the video script, they are mentioned as one of the parties involved in the civil war, engaged in conflict with the RSF across various parts of Sudan, including the capital Khartoum and the Darfur region [^12^].

💡El Fasher

El Fasher is a city in North Darfur and is highlighted in the script as a key location where fighting is intensifying and the risk of atrocities is high. It is a city that has seen an influx of internally displaced persons and is under threat of further violence, with concerns about the safety of its diverse population [^12^][^16^].

💡Human Rights Abuses

Human rights abuses are violations of the rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled. The video script and search results discuss the widespread human rights abuses occurring in Sudan, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, sexual violence, and the use of torture by warring parties [^12^].

💡International Criminal Court (ICC)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague in the Netherlands. It has issued arrest warrants against several Sudanese senior officials, including Omar al-Bashir, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur, as mentioned in the script [^5^].

Highlights

The risk of genocide is being discussed in Darfur, Sudan, with ongoing fighting and attacks on civilians.

Civilians in El Fasher, Sudan, are in dire need of protection rather than press releases.

Sudan is experiencing a civil war that began over a year ago, leading to near-total state collapse.

The capital, Khartoum, is barely functioning, and Sudan is facing the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The democratic transition in Sudan was derailed by a military coup in 2021, leading to the current conflict.

The conflict in Sudan is primarily between General Burhan's SAF and General Hemetti's RSF, vying for control.

Darfur, the size of Spain, is divided into five states, with RSF controlling four and fighting for the fifth.

Local armed groups in Al Fasher previously acted as a buffer but the latest truce collapsed in April.

RSF is attempting to strangulate Al Fasher, cutting off essential resources like water.

If RSF takes control of Al Fasher, it would have control over all five states of Darfur and three border points.

There are fears of ethnic cleansing if RSF, aligned with Arab militias, takes control of Al Fasher.

The conflict in Darfur has historical roots, with the 2003 uprising against the government leading to violence against non-Arab groups.

RSF, evolved from the Janjaweed militias, is accused of committing atrocities and possibly genocide.

Recent fighting in Al Fasher has seen the destruction of over 40 villages, primarily Zagawa communities.

Sudan is facing a massive hunger crisis, with nearly half the population not having enough to eat.

Aid is not reaching those who need it, with both RSF and SAF accused of blocking or stealing aid.

The UN is facing a significant funding shortfall for its aid operations in Sudan.

The conflict is being fueled by support from external countries, including the UAE and Russia.

Diplomatic efforts have been made to stop the fighting, including talks facilitated by Egypt and the UAE.

The global response to the crisis in Sudan has been inadequate, with the situation not being a priority for many.

Transcripts

let's talk about what's happening in

Sudan because people are talking about

the risk of genocide here in darur in

the city of elaser it's a very TI

situation there is fighting in all

directions most of the attacks are

happening on civilians facilities

particularly civilians homes we're past

warning for the people on the ground El

fasher they don't need press releases

they need

protection a civil war broke out in

Sudan just over a year ago and there's

fighting across large parts of the

country the capital Haron is barely

functioning what we're looking at only a

year on is near total State collapse

Sudan is the world's largest

humanitarian crisis the world has

abandoned Sudan so what's actually

happening in Dar for and what's being

done to stop the fighting

[Music]

first a quick reminder of the backstory

Sudan was ruled by one man Omar

al-Bashir for 30 years he was brought

down in 2019 in part because of pressure

from huge protests then there was a

short period when Sudan looked like it

was on a path to democracy and among a

lot of people there was a sense of hope

but that democratic transition got

derailed pretty quickly in 2021 there

was a military coup and then then last

year war broke out it started out as a

personal rivalry between these two

generals General brhan who leads Sudan's

National Army that's the Sudanese armed

forces or saf and general HTI who leads

a paramilitary group called the rapid

support forces or rsf and basically

you've ended up with saf and the rsf in

a bitter fight to control Sudan there

are many other armed groups in the mix

but saf basically controls part parts of

the east and north and the rsf has most

of the West and most of the capital

Harum Harum is obviously very symbolic

territory and so we will continue to see

BF and the rsf fight over that territory

even as they win and lose other

territories around the country Sudan as

we know it has died and it is now a

series of regional conflicts with

regional forces defending Regional

interests and that brings us to what's

happening in darur which is a huge

region roughly the size of Spain it's

divided into five states and the rsf

already has control of four of them now

the battle is on for the last one North

Dar for and its capital Al faser where

saf have a military base and are trying

to hold on to the city for most of last

year there were various trues in Al

faser where local armed groups agreed

not to take sides and acted like a

buffer between rsf and saf but the

latest truce appeared to collapse in

April and several groups along align

themselves with saf to fight against the

rsf and that puts Al faser very much

back in the crosshairs of rsf what rsf

is doing in Alasia right now is that

they are essentially trying to

strangulate the city they've even tried

cutting off water to the city that's how

brutal uh this is getting there's a

strategic um sort of logic of at the rsf

leadership level which is to take

alfashion and therefore have control

over all five states of Dar and all

three um border points with Libya with

Chad with the Central African Republic

if you don't control Al faser you don't

control darur and rsf knows that but if

the rsf take control of Al faser there

are huge fears about what it means for

the estimated 1.8 million people living

there especially because there's an

ethnic Dimension to this war where you

have very broadly Arab militias aligned

with the rsf targeting what are commonly

referred to as non-arab groups and to

understand that we have to go back to

the

2000s in 2003 there was an uprising in

darur against the government of Omar Al

Basher the rebel groups were mostly from

non-arab communities like the zagawa

masalit and fur who felt neglected by

the Arab dominated government Basher

responded by arming local Arab militias

known as the janid to fight against the

rebels they killed raped burned

massively displaced up to a a third of

the population of darur as a

whole violence is whing the bombing

murder and rape of innocent civilians

genocide there has already claimed

400,000 lives remains of the's dead

brought to the surface by strong Desert

Winds later the janja weed evolved and

rebranded as the rapid support forces

and in 2017 bashir's government made the

rsf an official paramilitary unit a kind

of second Army but the rsf kept their

strong links with darur and the Arab

militias there the rsf is a monster that

the Sudanese Army and the sudin regime

created and now it's it's it's turned on

the Sudanese State they have become

regularized they have uniforms but

effectively these are the same types of

people same groups of people with the

same political objectives z f has been

so emboldened and and so empowered to

com to commit such a atrocities for over

20 years it happened before and they got

away with it so what's happening in Dar

for now is basically an old conflict

that's being reignited there's mounting

evidence that the rsf and its allies are

using similar tactics as before these

pictures show rsf forces rounding up

people from the muslet ethnic group in a

place called ardata in west4 late last

year it's a suburb of the city of aljan

and a recent un report described how the

rsf have been targeting the melite

community and that between 10 and 15,000

people were killed in

eljan an independent investigation says

it's found clear evidence that massacres

against the mass Elite amount to

genocide in the last couple of months

the fighting has moved to Al faser a

team of researchers that yiel University

have been monitoring the area using

satellite imagery

we believe that they burned just in the

past two months well over 40 villages in

around Del faser primarily zagawa

communities and so the tempo of

destruction of intentional targeting of

communities by rsf and dar for has uh

sped up and that's why people are

increasingly worried about what could

happen if the rsf take over the whole of

Al faser it's a city where hundreds of

thousands of people fled to to escape

recent rsf attacks in other parts of

darur and the conflict back in the 2000s

Al fasid has become a sanctuary City and

this is what really um has inflated um

its population in in recent months if Al

faser Falls then there will be nothing

that prevents rapid support forces from

then identifying every single Community

left standing that they missed and it's

not just fear of more killings people in

Al faser are already starving right now

Sudan is facing one of the world's

biggest Hunger crises almost half the

population don't have enough to eat

around 5 million people are teetering on

the brink of starvation in one refugee

camp south of Al faser a child is dying

every 2 hours because of malnutrition

according to Doctors Without Borders

team are telling me in Dar War what they

see is that people are eating leaves

they eating soil they eating one meal a

day if they're lucky an aid is just not

getting to people who need it especially

in darur international Aid agencies are

struggling to get to these conflict

areas and both the rsf and saaf have

been accused of blocking or stealing Aid

as a war Tac

the reason why people are surviving is

because we have local volunteers

Sudanese who are on the ground on the

front line risking their lives uh to to

save their peers there's also a funding

problem the UN says it needs 2.7 billion

for its Aid operations in Sudan this

year and that it's only received 177% of

that now something else to keep in mind

is that this war is also being fueled

because the rsf and saf are getting

support from other countries the UAE is

accused of supplying weapons to the rsf

allegations that a panel of un experts

described as credible based on their own

investigations the UAE denies supplying

weapons calling the accusations

propaganda and says it's transporting

Aid to sedan and then you've got Russia

which appears to be backing both sides a

mercenary group linked to the Russian

government is said to be supplying the

rsf with weapons while Russia is also

supporting saf as a way it seems to

secure access to Sudan's Red Sea Coast

where saf is in control saf also has

Egypt on its side General ban has made

visits to Cairo there are also reports

that saf has been using Iranian drones

if supplies to these two sides slow down

um I think we would see this war start

to die down uh quite a bit as well so so

outside powers and backers of these two

sides are clearly helping prolong the

war at the same time there have been

some diplomatic efforts to try to stop

the fighting for example Egypt and the

UAE reportedly brought the two sides

together for talks in bahin earlier this

year and the UN Security Council has

adopted a resolution calling for the rsf

to stop its attack on Al faser for both

sides to agree to a ceasefire and to

allow Aid in we've actually seen more of

a aligning of Interest among the outside

actors to actually want to get some end

to this war basically no one really

seems seems to benefit from Sudan

collapsing but the problem is is that

the two Waring sides uh want to keep

fighting and remember it's not really

just two sides because of all the other

groups involved especially in darur and

that makes finding any kind of

resolution even harder whether there's

enough Global political will to even

push for that is a whole other question

the spill over from the Sudan war is

tremendous it it affects the whole

region it could easily ffect the whole

continent of Africa and nothing is being

done we are consistently raising the

issue of Sudan to top diplomats around

the world and many times they make clear

to us it's just not high on their agenda

now that we might see a million Sudanese

starve to death I expect we'll see some

uptick in efforts to uh try to save the

Sudanese people I hope it's not all too

little too late but obviously most of it

is too little too late and everyone was

warned

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[Music]