By Luke Charles

The conflict in Sudan is all too familiar: a country attempting the transition to democracy, cursed by its egotistic leaders and profiteering neighbours, falling into a civil war.

In the case of Sudan, it is a battle between two old friends; General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and General Hamdan (Hemdeti) of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group created out of Janjaweed, a militia operating in the Sahel.

With over 14m Sudanese forcibly displaced, and a predicted death toll of over 150,000, it is clear that the greed of opportunists who seek to profit from the conflict has resulted in one of the largest massacres of human rights in the region.

2019 saw a military coup (led by the SAF and RSF) end the thirty-year reign of Omar-al-Bashir, a military dictator with an abysmal humanitarian record. A transitionary council was formed as a coalition between the military and civilian revolutionary groups, with elections to have been held in 2023. However, another military coup in 2021, again headed by al-Burhan and Hemdeti, led to a restructuring of the council, monopolising power to the two men, especially al-Burhan.

The 2023 crisis came out of political disagreements between Hemdeti and al-Burhan, particularly the appointment of al-Bashir loyalists to the new government, and the intention to integrate the independent RSF into the SAF. This led to the RSF attacking SAF bases in April 2023, and despite some diplomatic attempts for peace, the war is now in its third year.

Whilst this is a civil war and is technically confined to the borders of Sudan, Chad and South Sudan, international involvement is playing a crucial part, not least by exacerbating famine, displacement, and ethnic cleansing. Whilst Ukraine and the Wagner group are directly involved in a proxy war, supporting both the SAF and RSF respectively, other international players like China, Egypt, Turkey and the UAE are supplying arms to both sides, in hopes that their involvement will give them more influence in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region.

The UAE is rapidly becoming the most invested international player in the conflict, with over $6bn invested in agriculture projects, a new port, and naturally, countless arms for the RSF. The issue of food security is becoming increasingly important for the Emiratis, and control of fifty thousand hectares of farmland in Sudan, along with the construction of a port on the Red Sea, is seen as crucial to achieving this goal. Along with the Wagner Group, they have also been participating in a gold smuggling operation, which in 2022 added $2.3bn to the Emirati economy.

The UN has reported that this international involvement, especially the UAE and Russia’s goals of wanting to have a lasting presence in the Red Sea, will have a huge destabilising effect on one of the most volatile regions in the world. They have accused both countries of prolonging the war for their own gains, as they both profit from the lack of stability the war ensures. Experts have pointed to Russian intervention in Syria, and how the acquisition of a naval base antagonised neighbours in the Middle East, worsening the situation. They are worried that with the news that Russia will establish a naval base in Sudan, the same will happen in this region.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan is dire. It has the highest number of internally displaced peoples, is facing acute famine, and humanitarian agencies are so poorly funded that efforts often fall short. The Human Rights Watch accused both sides of war crimes in their 2025 World Report, with the wilful obstruction of humanitarian aid, torture, and sexual violence as an instrument of war all being cited as the atrocities performed by both sides.

The Darfur region has suffered particularly dreadful atrocities, including the burning of forty-three villages, and the intentional shelling of hospitals. Gang rapes are common by the RSF, and access to the urgent post-rape care required is non-existent due to the inexistence of any such facility in the country.

Whilst the UN and individual countries have condemned the war in Sudan and are ‘troubled’ by the cruelty occurring, there is little they have actively done to relieve the suffering. The highly contentious Security Council has been unable to come to any resolution, with Russia regularly vetoing any prospects of peace.

Whilst the UK has pushed for peace in the UN, it has failed to publicly condemn the UAE for its involvement in the war. It was revealed by The Guardian last year that the UK government had been pressuring African diplomats to ‘avoid criticising the UAE over its alleged military support for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces.’

The UK and UAE’s relationship is concerning considering the vast investments and influence that the UAE has in the UK. On top of this, the UAE are seen as ‘indispensable’ to the West over their involvement in Africa, as they are positioned as the only credible resistance to Chinese influence in the region. According to Kholood Khair, this puts them in a position where its allies (like the UK) will overlook many human rights violations. Abdallah Idriss Abugarda, leader of the Darfur Diaspora Association, echoed this sentiment, saying that the UK does not care about its moral obligations, as long as its strategic interests are met. The UK and wider international community’s failure to prioritize human rights over geopolitical interests has only exacerbated the suffering of Sudanese civilians, leaving them trapped in an ongoing humanitarian disaster.

Sadly, Sudan is one of many forgotten wars. Currently, 14% of the world’s population is living in a conflict zone, and whilst media focus is rightly on Ukraine and Palestine, these other conflicts are ignored, allowing these atrocities to continue. The cuts to international aid by the UK government are devastating for the already under-funded humanitarian efforts in these regions.

With the US pursuing a policy of isolationism, the UK needs to be more involved in upholding human rights across the world. They must stand up to their allies who are prolonging the war for their gain, with an absolute disregard for the humanitarian issues it causes. They must also restore the international aid budget which was ruthlessly slashed to accommodate for an increase in military spending.