What is happening in Sudan?
By: Riley Duignan

Since April 2023, there’s been an ongoing civil war and a declared genocide in Sudan, and it is only now catching people’s attention.

In 2019, Sudan began a social and political revolution as Sudanese civilian populations and groups began to protest and attempt to overthrow the Sudanese dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir. In 2021, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)/military took control of the government in a military coup. Since then, there has been a power-sharing attempt between military groups that govern Sudan. The SAF and RSF (Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces) are in disagreement about who will mainly govern Sudan.

The two military groups have been in disagreement and in a power struggle over Sudan’s governance. The SAF aims to dominate governance over the RSF, but the RSF not only wants political dominance but also to be recognized as a national entity instead of its current label of “rebel group.”

The RSF, a paramilitary group created by Omar al-Bashir in 2013, was to maintain power and control any potential threats, originating from the Janjaweed militias. An Arab militia group that was most active in the 2000s but most notorious for its ethnic cleansing of non-Arab groups in 2003-2005. Members of the groups Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa were the targets of this ethnic cleansing, and in just 2 years, 200,000-300,000 non-Arabs were killed by Janjaweed militias. It wasn’t just killing, but also diseases, lack of humanitarian aid, etc., that were used by the Janjaweed militias against their targeted population. Rape was used as a war weapon against women and children, and the militia destroyed stores, hospitals, homes, and anything necessary for survival.

The RSF is an outcome group of the Janjaweed militia, and it shows through the continuous reports of human rights violations against Sudanese civilians and the repetition of history. The RSF group is on a human rights watchlist as more and more reports show the mass sexual violence against children from RSF group members, child soldiers, and ethnic cleansing. Similarly, the RSF is targeting the same three non-Arab groups in Darfur as the Janjaweed targeted in 2003-2005. Similar human rights violations and atrocities are being committed as they were by the Janjaweed militia, a direct repetition of past ethnic cleansing.

It is difficult to report the specific number of deaths, as many deaths go unreported, but it is estimated that close to 150,000 people have been killed since April 2023. The RSF has been trying to take control of western and central areas of Sudan throughout the war (Darfur and Kordofan regions), and has most recently taken control of the El Fasher area, the capital of North Darfur, killing an estimated number of over 1500 people. Members of the RSF have continuously killed people in these areas and have reportedly raped vulnerable women and children as a weapon of war. Around 12 million people have been displaced, and 30.4 million (over half of Sudan’s population) are in need of humanitarian aid.

Satellite photos of potential blood stains on the ground and scattered/stacked bodies in the areas of Kumia and El Fasher have caused increased international attention and concern for Sudan, as international news sources and media have been publicizing the war and massacres in Sudan. If we can’t do much, what we can do is spread media awareness and speak against the consistent ethnic cleansing of non-Arabic Sudanese people.

Sources:
https://www.rescue.org/article/crisis-sudan-what-happening-and-how-help
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/africa/sudan-africa-civil-war-rapid-support-forces-el-fasher-massacre-rcna240708
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/10/29/sudan-mass-atrocities-in-captured-darfur-city#:~:text=The%20RSF%20has%20a%20track,killings%20were%20acts%20of%20genocide.
https://www.hrw.org/feature/2025/04/14/sudan-conflict-2-years/des-millions-de-vies-brisees-des-dizaines-de-milliers-de#:~:text=El%20Geneina%2C%20West%20Darfur:%20Conflict,their%20profile%20within%20the%20community.&text=Misterei%2C%20West%20Darfur:%20Rapid%20Support,entire%20neighborhoods%20to%20the%20ground.&text=Khartoum%2C%20and%20its%20sister%20cities,and%20worsening%20the%20humanitarian%20crisis.
https://www.science.org/content/article/how-many-have-died-sudan-s-civil-war-satellite-images-and-models-offer-clues#:~:text=As%20a%20result%2C%20estimates%20of,non%2DArab%20ethnic%20minority%20groups.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/darfur#:~:text=Between%202003%20and%202005%2C%20the,communities%20are%20once%20again%20targeted.
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https://www.hrw.org/report/2004/05/06/darfur-destroyed/ethnic-cleansing-government-and-militia-forces-western-sudan#:~:text=The%20government%20of%20Sudan%20is,Qorans%20belonging%20to%20their%20enemies.
https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/sudan
https://www.bmz.de/en/countries/sudan#:~:text=In%20autumn%202019%2C%20a%20military,have%20been%20continued%20where%20possible.
https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/power-struggle-sudan#:~:text=The%20RSF%20is%20the%20most,military%20leaders%20and%20several%20civilians.
https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-guide?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20185246048&gbraid=0AAAAADnfYlMIVY9bbZKZIeDm7aQcUt2v0&gclid=CjwKCAiAwqHIBhAEEiwAx9cTedasDCzAD6IJm5PbIaWILh3cRi-trCTR9JamwXYyhqRd4ZBsutup8BoC3YMQAvD_BwE
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/01/sudan-massacre-rsf-rampage-el-fasher