Since April, Sudan has experienced a new wave of violence between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in the deaths of more than 2,800 people and the displacement of 2.8 million individuals. Why does it appear that this region has never truly experienced peace?
Clashes and civil wars
The beginning of the modern history of Sudan can be counted from the first Sudanese civil war which began several months before its independence on January 1st, 1956, with the battle of the Arab and Muslim-dominated north against multiple separatist rebel forces in the predominantly Christian south.
By 1972, the conflict had resulted in the deaths of approximately 500,000 people, according to various sources.
The second civil war erupted in 1983 when the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) launched an uprising to transform the Islamist regime in Khartoum into a secular establishment. Until 2005, a peace agreement was signed, but at least two million people were killed, and four million were displaced.
Oil-rich South Sudan declared independence on July 9th, 2011, dividing Africa’s largest country into two. In the spring of 2012, relations between Sudan and South Sudan deteriorated in oil-rich border areas, leading to clashes between their respective armies.
The genocide in Darfur
In 2003, the western region of Darfur in Sudan was consumed by conflict when predominantly non-Arab armed factions rose against the Khartoum government, citing racial discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion as their grievances.
The conflict resulted in the loss of 300,000 lives due to direct combat, diseases, and malnutrition, as reported by the United Nations. Around 2.5 million individuals were displaced.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for President Omar al-Bashir in 2009 and 2010, accusing him of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur.
On August 31st, 2020, the Sudanese government and the majority of rebel groups achieved a significant peace agreement, but sporadic clashes continue to occur.
New “Genocide”
On April 13th, 2023, conflict erupted between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo across Sudan, including in Khartoum.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague issued arrest warrants for President Bashir in 2009 and 2010, accusing him of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur. Bashir was ousted from power in 2019.
Both factions have been vying for control of government installations, including Khartoum International Airport.
Despite several attempts at a ceasefire and international appeals for peace, Sudan’s war has reignited painful memories in the troubled Darfur region, where armed groups are accused of ethnically targeting civilians, raising concerns of a new “genocide.”
There has been no truce that has lasted for a significant period of time.
