On April 15, 2023, two Sudanese military forces began exchanging fire in southern Sudan. The clash occurred between the Sudanese Army, led by military de facto leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The war was sparked by a power imbalance between the Sudanese military and the RSF that occurred when power was taken by force rather than an election. The ongoing struggle for power within the Sudanese government is also further intensifying this conflict.
This war has caused many military and civilian casualties, along with the displacement of 3.3 million people into refugee camps and the migration of one million Sudanese into neighboring countries such as Libya, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic, according to a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The heavy fighting in the region has also resulted in accusations of human rights violations from the United Nations (UN) toward the two forces. These include, but are not limited to, ethnic cleansing, forcing children to fight, ransacking, and sexual violence.
The power struggle first began when the previous Sudanese Civil War (1985–2005) ended in a shaky ceasefire between the government forces and the rival militias. The ensuing power vacuum was massive, resulting in 18 years of internal corruption and infighting within the already weak Sudanese military. On April 1, 2023, tension snapped between the two forces as they began exchanging gunfire in rural Sudan.
Women are facing a rise in sexual violence as rape cases increase across the country. According to The Guardian, since the conflict erupted in mid-April, there has been a spike in sexual assault cases reported across the country. An article by The Guardian reads: “Systematic sexual violence is being used by paramilitaries in Sudan to degrade and humiliate people.” Nearly all rape cases that were reported to the police were allegedly perpetrated by the RSF. According to the World Health Organization, nearly four million women in Sudan are at risk of facing sexual violence.
This war has resulted in thousands of casualties, left many Sudanese homeless, and increased sexual assault on young girls. If the two sides do not come to a ceasefire, thousands more will continue to die, and more and more people will lose their livelihoods.
