Dozens were killed and scores injured at around 2:00am on 28 September when violent clashes erupted in Sudan. They involved airstrikes with fighter jets and artillery assaults with heavy and light weapons. At that time Lieutenant General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, commander-in-chief of the Sudanese army and chairman of the Sovereignty Council, was addressing the United Nations General Assembly.

The Sudanese army, supported by allied armed factions, mobilised troops, and Islamist battalions, launched a military operation in Khartoum and Khartoum Bahari, which had been under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the onset of the war on 15 April 2023. Army units transitioned from their bases in Omdurman to Khartoum using three bridges: the White Nile and Al-Fatehab bridges towards Khartoum, and the Halfaya Bridge towards Khartoum Bahari, making significant advances.

At the same time, the RSF were attempting to seize Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, in a bid to assert full control over the Darfur region and its five constituent states. Violent clashes also intensified in other regions, posing a grave threat of exacerbating the already substantial human suffering and exposing the civilian population to increased peril.

Supporters of the Sudanese army have embraced its new strategic approach and extensive attacks aimed at liberating the capital from RSF control. Leaders and analysts spoke about the army’s impending triumph and the potential eradication of the RSF. They added that seizing control of Khartoum would fundamentally alter the course of the conflict in Sudan, impacting the nation’s security and political landscape.

Other voices cautioned that while the army’s surprise operation sends a strong message to many parties, including the international community, the Sudanese people, and regional players, it may not lead to a definitive resolution. They argued that the campaign could exact a heavy toll on the army, considering the presence of the RSF on the ground and their intention to fiercely defend the capital. They added that the RSF are superior on the ground due to their agility, while the army enjoys air superiority. The army has been conducting air strikes on RSF positions in Khartoum and across Sudan. These voices opined that negotiations between the army and the RSF are the only viable path forward.

Meanwhile the UAE has condemned what it perceives as an attack on the headquarters of its mission chief in Khartoum by a Sudanese army aircraft. The Sudanese army refuted these claims, saying it does not target diplomatic missions’ premises and is committed to international law.

In recent days, the army and RSF have been battling for control of bridges, the Jelei refinery, army headquarters, and other critical sites. Both sides have traded accusations of targeting infrastructure and civilians. A parallel war has erupted in the media and on social platforms. Videos capturing the jubilation of citizens at the army’s entry into Khartoum and its seizure of the Jelei refinery, located 70 km north of the capital, have circulated online. In response, the RSF refuted the army’s claims of victory, releasing a video asserting their continued control over Khartoum. They also contested the army’s purported capture of the strategically vital Jelei refinery, a claim later confirmed by the army.

Mohamed Al-Mokhtar, the legal adviser to the RSF commander, dismissed the army’s reported successes as unfounded. He declared the RSF’s intent to pursue a military resolution, renouncing any prospect of negotiation and asserting its commitment to combat. Al-Mokhtar added that victory will be determined on the battlefield, with plans to thwart hostile military movements all the way to Port Sudan, temporarily designated as the army’s capital in the east.

Meanwhile, Minni Arko Minawi, governor of Darfur and leader of the Sudan Liberation Army Movement, warned that the RSF’s complete domination of Darfur would lead to genocide and ethnic cleansing of non-Arab communities, surpassing the horrors witnessed in Rwanda.

Amidst this conflict, Sudan grapples with a deteriorating humanitarian crisis. The Sudanese Ministry of Health reported over 17,000 cases of cholera, resulting in 535 fatalities across 10 states.

Many Sudanese remain sceptical regarding international efforts to stop the war in Sudan, believing the world doesn’t care about their catastrophe. These sentiments persist even as the UN hosted a ministerial meeting on “The Cost of Inaction: Urgent and Collective Support to Scale Up the Humanitarian Response in Sudan and the Region” at its headquarters in New York. The meeting was held by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the High Commissioner for Refugees, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the US, the African Union, and the European Union. The meeting called for ending the war, bolstering humanitarian interventions in Sudan and the surrounding region.

Simultaneously, the US Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello embarked on diplomatic visits to Nairobi and Addis Ababa to help with conflict resolution efforts and advance a comprehensive transition to civilian governance in Sudan. The US State Department said these diplomatic efforts are intended to exert pressure on the RSF and the Sudanese army to agree to humanitarian ceasefires, cessation of hostilities, expanding humanitarian access, dismantling barriers hindering the delivery of essential aid, addressing famine conditions, combating violence, and safeguarding civilians.

Sudan teeters on the edge of collapse, prompting experts, international officials, and humanitarian organisations to blame the international community for its descent into catastrophe. Criticisms revolve around the inadequate response and action taken concerning Sudan, coupled with a lack of political resolve.

Filippo Grandi, the high commissioner for refugees, warned about the dire conditions in Sudan: “If people don’t die because of bullets, they starve to death. If they manage to survive, they must face disease or floods, or the threat of sexual violence and other horrifying abuse.” Grandi lamented the absence of global attention to these atrocities which, if occurring elsewhere, would likely dominate headlines.

Joyce Msuya, the acting UN Emergency Relief coordinator, spoke about the suffering endured by the Sudanese people over the past 17 months, which is increasing by the day. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressed the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan. He called on the international community, including the Security Council, to take decisive measures to safeguard civilians in Sudan.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 3 October, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly