AFRICA/SUDAN - The Sudanese conflict enters its third year

Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) – With tens of thousands of dead, 14 million internally displaced people, and more than three and a half million refugees in neighboring countries, Sudan is entering the third year of a devastating civil war that shows no signs on the horizon. This is the toll of two years of civil war in Sudan which broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo (see Fides, 17/4/2023).
As the fighting continues, the country is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Millions of Sudanese have lost their sources of income and remain trapped in displacement camps or in their homes, under constant threat of bombing and fighting. In the areas recently reconquered by the army, the situation remains critical: looting is frequent and basic infrastructure—such as water and electricity distribution—is practically destroyed. The military strategy adopted by the RSF, based on the intensive use of drones to bomb power and telecommunications plants, has left much of the country in darkness and without communications for long periods of the conflict. While the SAF has regained control of Khartoum, the capital where a third of the population resides, the fiercest fighting is now concentrated in Darfur, a stronghold of the RSF. The situation is particularly alarming in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which has been under siege for almost a year. There, thousands of civilians face extreme shortages of food and water, exacerbated by the blockade of supplies. In recent days, the RSF has intensified its attacks in the region. After bombing the Zamzam displaced persons camp, located about 12 kilometers from El Fasher, for three consecutive days, they took control of the site, causing at least 500 deaths, according to local sources (see Fides, 14/4/
2025). In two years, the economic impact of the conflict is equally catastrophic. Sudan is estimated to have lost nearly $33 billion of its gross domestic product. The industrial sector, which before the conflict represented 17% of Sudan's GDP, has been severely affected: the Ministry of Industry reported that more than 40% of factories - 2,655 out of a total of 6,660 - have closed their doors. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 15/4/2025)

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