Sudan War Continues After Three Years

A conference was held in Berlin to ostensibly resolve the crisis, yet the major belligerents did not attend amid ongoing fighting and a burgeoning humanitarian disaster

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

April 21, 2026

Political Review

Since April 15, 2023, the internal war in the Republic of Sudan has continued unabated.

Fighting erupted after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) violently disagreed over the political future of this oil-rich African state.

Beginning in December 2018, mass demonstrations erupted in various areas of the country prompted by a sharp rise in prices for fuel, food and other commodities. The government of former President Omar Hassan al-Bashir failed to implement the necessary reforms to calm the social situation inside the country.

During the course of the demonstrations in the first quarter of 2019, various social forces emerged which led the calls for the resignation of President al-Bashir. The Sudanese Professional Association (SPA), students and workers remained in the streets on a daily basis highlighting broad disaffection of the population.

By April 2019, leading elements within the military decided to remove al-Bashir from office in an effort to ease the unrest among the people. Yet, this was not enough to end the mass demonstrations. 

Thousands held a sit-in for weeks outside the Ministry of Defense in Khartoum demanding that the military relinquish political control of the state to open the way for a democratic transition to a multiparty electoral system. Instead of heeding the call of the people, the military opened fire on the demonstrators killing hundreds in the capital in June 2019.

Later the intervention of regional organizations and the African Union (AU) led to the adoption of plans for a cessation of hostilities and the transition to a stable political dispensation. Nonetheless, these plans along with the interventions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the United Nations and the United States could not end the unrest.

Behind the Continuing War

It has been widely acknowledged that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are bankrolling and arming the RSF in Sudan. The RSF has committed widespread atrocities against the civilian population in various regions of the country.

In the Darfur region, the RSF seized control during 2025, driving hundreds of thousands of civilians from their homes. Other areas such as the capital of Khartoum have been retaken by the SAF along with the twin city of Omdurman. 

Fighting has taken place in Blue Nile state where the RSF took control of various areas beginning in March. A recent offensive by the SAF has resulted in the displacement of the RSF fighters and their allies among one of the rebel groupings known as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N).

These rebel groups came into existence during the administration of former President al-Bashir. Efforts by the government to end the rebel insurgency in Darfur attracted the attention of media outlets internationally.

Allegations of genocide by the National Congress Party (NCP) government under al-Bashir resulted in investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Eventually, the ICC issued warrants for the arrest of al-Bashir. Even though the former president was removed from office by elements in the SAF, he still has not been turned over to the ICC. 

According to an April 20 report published in the Sudan Tribune on the situation in Blue Nile, it says:

“Sudan’s army said on Monday it had recaptured a town in the Blue Nile region following heavy fighting against a coalition of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu. The RSF and its allies launched a major military offensive in the southeastern region in March, seizing the strategic town of Kurmuk and several surrounding areas. Joint forces of the SPLM-N and the RSF had previously taken control of the Mogja on March 26, saying it paves the way towards Ed Damazin. The army’s 4th Infantry Division said in a statement that its forces achieved a ‘significant victory’ by liberating Mogja. The military reported that the retreating forces suffered heavy losses in lives and equipment. The military command stated the operation was part of a broader campaign to secure the region and clear it of RSF elements. The Sudanese government has accused neighboring Ethiopia of destabilizing the Blue Nile by hosting RSF camps funded by the United Arab Emirates. Both Ethiopia and the UAE have previously denied allegations of involvement in the conflict.” (https://sudantribune.com/article/313002)

On the other side of the armed confrontations is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The SAF and the Chairman of Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has maintained good relations with the Saudi monarchy. 

The SAF leader met with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on April 20 in Jeddah to discuss additional funding for General al-Burhan and his supporters. The Pakistani government recently announced that it would not provide $1.5 billion in military assistance to Khartoum due to the fact that the Saudis would not finance the deal.

A report in the Sudan Tribune on the character of the relations between the SAF and the Saudi monarchy noted that:

“The Sovereign Council said in a statement that the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and prospects for enhancing joint cooperation during talks at the Royal Palace. Burhan expressed gratitude for Saudi support and reaffirmed Sudan’s solidarity with the Kingdom against threats to its security, specifically condemning Iranian interventions. He emphasized that Saudi security is integral to Sudan’s own stability and praised the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince. Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed the visit, noting the deep historical ties between the two nations and expressing appreciation for Sudan’s supportive stance.” (https://sudantribune.com/article/313005)

Therefore, both of the military factions waging war against each other and the civilian population are being supported by the GCC states which serve as outposts for U.S. military forces. The Islamic Republic of Iran, which is waging a defensive war against Washington and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), have launched attacks on these monarchies where Pentagon forces are utilizing for their bombing operations that lasted for four weeks prior to a temporary ceasefire which began on April 7. 

What is needed in Sudan is a revolutionary democratic government that is independent of imperialism and its surrogates in West Asia. The defensive military tactics of Tehran have illustrated that the decades-long arrangements with the Pentagon and the Zionist Apartheid state are in serious crisis. The military capacity of Iran illustrated that the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) can strike deep inside the GCC states and Occupied Palestine. 

The Berlin Conference Revisited

There was a conference on Sudan held in Berlin during mid-April. This event, largely attended by Europeans and other non-state actors, was purportedly designed to solicit pledges towards providing humanitarian assistance to the people of the Republic of Sudan.  

This is the third gathering on Sudan held in Europe since the war began in 2023. One of the conferences was held in London and another took place in Paris.

However, holding this meeting in Germany harkens back to the original Berlin Conference of 1884-85 where the European imperialist powers carved up the African continent based upon their own economic interests. Although the gathering pledged funds to assist those negatively impacted by the war, there is no guarantee that anything positive will emerge from the event.

Cameron Hudson, who served as the Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council under former U.S. President George W. Bush, said that people should be skeptical regarding the pledges for financial assistance:

“‘All indications are that this is just wordplay, and that all these pledges are merely a repetition of previous pledges.’ He added that although the conference succeeded in bringing together civil society members to express their concerns about the conflict on an international platform, it made no notable tangible progress toward a ceasefire or toward raising significant new funds for relief efforts.” (https://sudanhorizon.com/american-magazine-nothing-new-at-the-berlin-conference/)

The solutions to the Sudanese situation must be carved out by the people and their organizations. British colonialism governed the country from the late 19th century to 1956. The current problems are a direct result of this colonial legacy.

London ruled the country by dividing the people of the various regions. Today, with the partition of the South from the North in 2011, Sudan is no longer the largest geographic nation-state in Africa. The Darfur region under British rule was incorporated into the construct during World War I and was governed as a neglected area of the huge colony.

Classical colonial rule has given way to neo-colonialism which is designed to maintain imperialist control. Neo-colonialism is a contemporary form of indirect rule. These internal divisions must be overcome before there can be genuine peace and sovereignty inside Sudan as well as other African states.