What is happening in Sudan? As fears of civil war mount, a deeper look at the conflict
A conflict that broke out mid-April in the country of Sudan has continued to escalate in recent weeks. The intense military clashes are creating a growing humanitarian crisis and have forced foreign nations, including the U.S., to evacuate their embassies.
The fighting is between two rival generals: Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, who leads the Sudanese military, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group. Caught in between are millions of civilians who have made their support for a democratic government clear.
“This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It’s unconscionable and it must stop,” President Joe Biden said a statement after the violence broke out.
As fears over civil war mount, here’s what you should know about the conflict.
Where is Sudan?
Sudan is a country in Northeast Africa bordering the Red Sea. With a population of about 45 million, it is one of the continent’s most populous nations and largest geographically.
As the death count rises, thousands are fleeing the embattled region to neighboring nations including South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia and Egypt.
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Why is Sudan at war?
The conflict represents a power struggle between two Sudanese generals: Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
Burhan leads the Sudanese military, the country's official army, while Dagalo heads up the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that is vying for more power in the government.
The two generals have been sharing power since 2021 when they carried out a military coup. Prior to that Burhan had been leading alongside a civilian prime minister who rose to the government's seat after a revolution ousted the nation's dictator, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019.
The conflict, which has claimed over 500 lives and injured nearly 5,000, erupted as the nation was poised to transition fully to democratic power. That transition presented a threat to military forces, whose own power would have been diluted, the New York Times reports.
While mediators hoped for a smooth transition, the bitter rivalry exploded in gunfire on April 15 and has continued despite efforts from other nations to calm the tensions. A number of shaky ceasefires have been brokered by the U.S. and other nearby countries in hopes of saving lives and allowing safe evacuations, though they have no been strictly heeded.
US embassy evacuated in Sudan
The United States evacuated the embassy in the capital of Khartoum on April 22, prompting a scramble from other nations to follow suit.
Elements of the elite Naval squad SEAL Team Six and the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group assisted with the mission, which lifted 70 staffers by helicopter to a nearby military base in Djibouti.
Are there new Sudan sanctions?
In early May, Biden announced he would take steps to sanction those involved in Sudan's recent violence.
Signing an executive order on Thursday, May 4, the president issued a statement saying the move would “hold individuals responsible for threatening the peace, security, and stability of Sudan; undermining Sudan’s democratic transition; using violence against civilians; or committing serious human rights abuses.”
The order does not mean sanctions have been officially issued, it merely grants authority and asks the Treasury Department and other agencies to take a look at whether it would be appropriate, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby clarified.
Why are so many Americans in Sudan?
About 16,000 private American citizens are in Sudan, authorities say. Most are either aid workers or Sudanese Americans, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner said.
The US began evacuating hundreds of American citizens in late April. Evacuees took a dangerous land-path, escorted by armed drones to the Port of Sudan, where they were able to board ships traveling to Jeddah, a city in Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea.
American families in Sudan had previously criticized the U.S. government for what they perceived as a lack of action in orchestrating a manned evacuation. No U.S. military personnel was on the ground in Sudan to assist with the convoy.
How to help Sudan?
The continued fighting in Sudan poses a humanitarian risk for residents who were already experiencing food insecurity from severe weather.
Civilians facing threat of violence are also less free to leave their homes to acquire essentials such as food, water and medicine.
A number of organizations are working to help with ongoing issues in Sudan:
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The war in Sudan explained: Unpacking conflict in the African country
