Sudan's Civil War Persists in Third Year, Fueling Largest Humanitarian Crisis

Three years after a brutal civil war erupted in Sudan, the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues to ravage the country, displacing millions and triggering what United Nations officials describe as the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The fighting broke out on April 15, 2023, in Khartoum and has since spread across much of the nation, pitting army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, in a power struggle that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The war stems from tensions following a 2021 military coup by al-Burhan and Hemedti, who ousted a transitional government established after the 2019 popular uprising that ended longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir's three-decade rule. What began as a rivalry over integrating the paramilitary forces into the army has escalated into widespread violence, with the Sudanese Armed Forces controlling much of the east and center, including the capital, while the Rapid Support Forces dominate the western Darfur region. Recent escalations, including the Rapid Support Forces' capture of el-Fasher in North Darfur in...