Washington, DC —12 March 2025
Sudan has faced sustained conflict and political upheaval since April 2023, when tensions between rival military factions escalated into full-scale war. The conflict centers on a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti.
This war emerged from a fractured alliance. Both leaders had previously cooperated in the 2019 coup that removed longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir from power. Competing ambitions over military authority and Sudan’s political future ultimately drove the country into violent confrontation. The collapse of the transition to civilian governance deepened instability, leaving a power vacuum that neither side was willing to concede.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts and humanitarian engagement, a durable resolution remains elusive. The conflict continues to evolve rapidly, with shifting frontlines and increasing fragmentation across the country.
Human Rights Violations
The conflict has been defined by widespread and systematic human rights abuses. Civilians have been directly targeted, with violations including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings. Political dissidents, journalists, and activists remain especially vulnerable, frequently detained without due process and subjected to severe abuse.
Indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas have resulted in mass casualties, particularly in urban centers such as Khartoum. Airstrikes, artillery shelling, and the use of heavy weaponry have destroyed homes, hospitals, markets, and essential infrastructure. While estimates suggest approximately 150,000 fatalities, the true scale of loss is likely significantly higher.
Both SAF and RSF forces have been accused of recruiting child soldiers and using forced labor, exploiting vulnerable populations and subjecting them to extreme violence. In regions such as Darfur, patterns of violence have taken on ethnic dimensions, with credible reports indicating acts consistent with ethnic cleansing, particularly against non-Arab communities.
Mass graves have been uncovered across Darfur, including sites containing the remains of ethnic Masalit civilians. Evidence suggests execution-style killings carried out by both factions. Cultural and religious sites have also been deliberately destroyed, contributing to the erosion of Sudan’s historical and social fabric.
Sexual violence has been pervasive throughout the conflict. Women and girls have been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual abuse, often used deliberately to terrorize and destabilize communities. Survivors face significant barriers to justice, including stigma, lack of legal recourse, and ongoing threats of retaliation.
Humanitarian Crisis
The humanitarian consequences of the conflict are catastrophic. More than 12.5 million people have been displaced, including over nine million internally displaced within Sudan—one of the largest displacement crises in the world. An additional 3.5 million have fled to neighboring countries, including Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.
Displaced populations face dire and often life-threatening conditions. Overcrowded camps lack adequate access to food, clean water, shelter, and medical care, increasing vulnerability to disease, exploitation, and human trafficking.
Humanitarian operations remain severely constrained. Both SAF and RSF forces have obstructed the delivery of aid, while aid workers have been targeted, kidnapped, or killed. In some cases, armed groups have looted humanitarian supplies, further compounding civilian suffering.
Critical shortages of food, medicine, and clean water persist across conflict-affected areas. Blockades and ongoing hostilities have limited access to vulnerable populations, leaving many without lifesaving assistance. The healthcare system has largely collapsed, with hospitals destroyed or abandoned and medical personnel displaced or killed.
Preventable diseases, including cholera, are spreading rapidly, exacerbated by malnutrition and low immunization rates. Women and children remain disproportionately affected, facing heightened risks of illness, violence, and death.
Conclusion
International calls for a ceasefire, accountability, and expanded humanitarian access have thus far failed to alter the trajectory of the conflict. Without meaningful political resolution and a rebalancing of power between SAF and RSF, the prospects for stability remain remote.
The situation in Sudan reflects more than an internal power struggle—it underscores the consequences of prolonged impunity, fragile political transitions, and the absence of sustained international enforcement mechanisms. The scale and pattern of abuses raise urgent concerns under international humanitarian and human rights law, including the risk of further mass atrocity crimes.
A coordinated and sustained international response is essential. This includes enforcing accountability, securing humanitarian access, and supporting long-term political and institutional reform. Without such measures, the conflict will continue to deepen, with devastating and potentially irreversible consequences for the Sudanese people.
Photo Credit: “Chad Edtech Solutions Sudanese Refugees” by Global Partnership for Education – GPE. Licensed under CC By NC ND 2.0
Lara Kajs is the founder and executive director of The Genocide Report (TGR). She has conducted extensive fieldwork in conflict and displacement settings, including Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan. Her work focuses on humanitarian crises, international law, and atrocity prevention.