Sudan is sliding towards civil war

Fighting between rival Sudanese generals could trigger ethnic conflict

People carrying their belongings walk along a street in Khartoum on April 16, 2023, as fighting between the forces of 2 rival generals continues. - Violence erupted early on April 15 after weeks of deepening tensions between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the heavily-armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with each accusing the other of starting the fight. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images) — Image: AFP

Apr 20th 2023|9 min read

Each morning since April 15th, residents of Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, have woken to the thunder of air strikes and the crackle of nearby gunfire. In just the first four days of fighting between the forces of two rival Sudanese generals, nearly 300 people have been killed (most of them civilians) and more than 2,600 injured. Armed men have been raiding and looting homes. “It’s like ‘Call of Duty’,” says a resident whose house was struck by a bullet. Food, water and medical supplies are starting to run out.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Sliding towards civil war”