The situation in Sudan is now more than just another news story. The conflict, which broke out in April 2023, is now in its fourth year and has left tens of thousands dead, more than 14 million people displaced (nearly a quarter of the population), and pushed the country to the brink of famine. But beyond Sudan’s borders, the war is barely making headlines.
What started as an internal power struggle between two generals has descended into a bloody impasse, rending communities, decimating hospitals, and weaponizing food. Behind the conflict, there’s a bigger story: how this overlooked war is revealing the ugly divisions in the Muslim world. Rather than solidarity, we witness vested interests, selective muteness, and an idealised concept of Muslim unity replaced by geopolitics.
Sudan War 2026: What’s Happening?
The Sudanese war is a battle between two armies:
- General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)
- General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), also known as “Hemedti.”
The RSF controls most of Darfur and Kordofan, and has solidified its control in most of Khartoum and its surroundings. Contrarily, the SAF controls the north and some of the east, and recently began counterattacks in Omdurman. Both sides are far from victory and the peace table. Humanitarian assistance is being looted and stolen. Furthermore, rape is being reported at a “catastrophic” rate.
- There are more than 4.4 million refugees in neighbouring nations like Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.
- Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian aid because of famine or malnutrition in areas such as El Fasher and Kadugli.
- Hospitals and humanitarian assistance are also heavily affected by the conflict with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting over 200 hospital attacks during the war.
What Caused the Civil War in Sudan?
There are three primary causes behind this unfortunate crisis as follows:
Competition and Conflict among Factions
The military forces in Sudan removed President Omar al-Bashir from power and established a transitional government council made up of two opposing armies, as mentioned earlier. The leaders of these two forces colluded to delay power to a civilian government in 2021, staging a coup.
Political Instability after Regime Change
A short-lived democracy ensued after the revolution of 2019. There were no leaders, parties were torn, and the international community was silent. When Bashir was pushed aside, institutions were filled with armed groups with guns and money.
Economic and Regional Inequalities
Sudan has a long history of disparities. There have been instances of discrimination and attacks on regions, such as Darfur. The poor areas suffered from inflation and a resource war, which ultimately divided Sudan.
Sudan has many resources, such as gold in Darfur and a beautiful Nile Valley. RSF had support in Darfur, whereas SAF in the north and east, as previously highlighted.
Who’s Financing the Conflict?
The other question is who finances the war in Sudan. This is a mixture of domestic and international sources.
Funding sources include:
- Natural resource funding: The RSF owns many of the gold mines that give it enough resources to fight.
- Regional Powers: Some states are secretly helping SAF against the massive forces of RSF.
In short, the RSF is suspiciously linked with the United Arab Emirates, which is allegedly involved in arms and gold smuggling in Darfur. However, the UAE denies military aid, but is being sued by Sudan in the International Court of Justice. The RSF has mining profits and a government of the occupied territory.
On the other hand, SAF has Egypt, the Nile, and the border. The legitimate government has the backing of Saudi Arabia and others.
Sudan and the Muslim World in Crisis
The Muslim world has been facing a multi-faceted crisis for the past two years that has similar patterns. There has been international intervention on a scale, wars for resources, failed or failing states, and the international community is divided to tackle the crises. Rather than consensus, there is disunity and division.
The nature of these crises is different, but the common thread is that there is no unity among Muslim-majority countries and organisations.
- Israel is currently involved in genocidal activities like bombing and starving Gaza. The agreement between Lebanon and Israel was supposed to be kept, yet Lebanon remains vulnerable to attacks and is displaced from reconstruction.
- Iran is recovering from the war with Israel and the US. It is suffering economically from sanctions, attacks, and trade issues.
- Yemen and Syria continue to suffer from war, while Pakistan and Bangladesh have experienced political upheaval.
However, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has been unable to respond significantly to any of these events.
The Way Forward
Peace involves putting an end to combat and the cessation of fighting between opponents and allowing them to embrace reconciliation. The international community must adopt a new approach to the problem that would involve fewer arms and increased humanitarian aid.
Gaza and Sudan represent a case of uneven consensus among the Muslims. It is therefore the need of the hour to tackle all the challenges with the strong and practical notion of the Muslim Brotherhood.
