In the heart of Africa, one of the largest humanitarian catastrophes of our time is unfolding, remaining on the periphery of the world’s attention.

Balance of Power: Army vs. “Rapid Supports”

At the core of the current confrontation is a struggle for absolute power between two once-allied structures that jointly carried out a military coup in 2021. On one side of the barricades are the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under the command of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, representing the official state army. They control the majority of government institutions and traditionally enjoy the support of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Their tactics rely on air superiority and heavy artillery, which often leads to massive destruction in cities and settlements inhabited solely by civilians.

They are opposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — a powerful paramilitary formation that grew out of the notorious “Janjaweed” militia that operated in Darfur. Led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, the RSF represent a highly mobile force possessing vast experience in combat operations in desert terrain. Their fighters are known for extreme cruelty, and the financial power of the group is built on control over gold-mining mines and extensive business interests. The RSF also receive external support, which supplies them with modern weaponry and means for waging hybrid warfare.

Initially, the clashes were concentrated in the capital, Khartoum, but quickly spread to the regions of Darfur, Kordofan, and other parts of the country. The conflict quickly lost the features of a purely political confrontation, turning into a struggle for resources and territorial control, with elements of ethnic violence, especially in Western Darfur, where mass killings of civilians based on ethnicity are leading the international community to speak of the risk of a repeated genocide.

Humanitarian Catastrophe: A Sea of Suffering and Millions of Refugees

The consequences of the war for the civilian population are catastrophic. According to international organizations, over a third of Sudan’s population — more than 15 million people — are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The country’s healthcare system has been virtually destroyed, most hospitals have been bombed or looted, and access to clean water and food has become a matter of life and death.

The most........

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