The war in Sudan, specifically in the capital and western regions, shows no signs of abating as it enters its twelfth week.
The ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has heightened, creating an escalating humanitarian crisis and posing the risk of drawing regional interests into the fray.
Both air strikes and ground artillery have intensified, particularly in the cities of Omdurman and Khartoum. Reports from the RSF indicate that they managed to bring down an army warplane and a drone in Bahri, but the army has not yet responded to these claims. The RSF appears to have control on the ground in the capital, facing accusations of looting and occupying houses, while the army concentrates on air and artillery strikes.
The Humanitarian Impact and International Response
The ongoing war has resulted in severe humanitarian consequences, instilling fear among the residents and limiting the operational capacity of key medical facilities. Residents such as Nahid Salah, a 25-year-old living in northern Omdurman, express their increasing terror as the strikes worsen daily.
An alarming event involved the RSF allegedly raiding the Shuhada hospital, one of the few still functional facilities in the country, and reportedly killing a staff member. The RSF has refuted the accusations.
In the western cities of Kordofan and Darfur, particularly in the westernmost city of El Geneina, the conflict has resulted in reports of ethnic cleansing involving the RSF and Arab militias.
A government agency, the Combating Violence Against Women Unit, recently recorded 88 instances of sexual assault, with victims primarily blaming the RSF for these acts.
On the diplomatic front, attempts at mediation, including talks in Jeddah sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia, have been suspended. At the same time, the army has criticized mediation attempts by East African countries. There is a glimmer of hope, as army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy on the country’s Sovereign Council, Malik Agar, have expressed willingness to engage in mediation attempts by Turkey or Russia. However, no official efforts have been announced yet.
