A year on, no sign of truce in Sudan; war remains a reality but boon to outsiders

Sudan’s war will next week be entering its second year with no end in sight. And analysts say outsiders are losing or profiting from it, factors that may fuel the conflict for longer.

Since April 15, 2023 when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched attacks on the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), actors from the neighbourhood and beyond have played one role or the other in seeking to end or prolong the war.

They include members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) such as South Sudan and Kenya, Sudan’s other neighbours like Chad and Egypt, Gulf countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Russia, as well as the US and other Western countries.

By this week, four main countries remained critical in the war: South Sudan, Chad, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Perhaps the most appalling thing has been that the UN Security Council has only passed a single resolution on Sudan in the last one year, asking factions to stop fighting during the Holy Month of Ramadhan.