North Africa

Exactly one year has passed, on April 15, 2024, since the devastating conflict began in Sudan, pitting regular armed forces against paramilitaries, with civilians bearing the brunt. This conflict has forced over 8.6 million people to flee, including over half a million South Sudanese who lived in Sudan and had to prematurely return to their home country.

A humanitarian summit on the year-long conflict in Sudan was held in Paris on April 15. The morning focused on politics while the afternoon was dedicated to fundraising for the UN's response plan, which had only been 5% funded. So, it was necessary to rally support.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the civil war in Sudan. Paramilitaries led by General Hemetti seized the capital Khartoum months ago, forcing the government to flee to Port Sudan, a major hub on the Red Sea. Thousands of displaced persons seek refuge there, with some using it as a launchpad to escape the country. RFI spoke with a resident who shared insights into the current situation.

On April 15, 2023, Sudan's fate took a dark turn as a power struggle began between the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his rival, General Mohamed Hamdane Dogolo "Hemedti," who heads the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudanese people had to adapt to this new tragedy after 12 months of intense fighting, war crimes, thousands of victims – with the human toll impossible to determine – and millions displaced. Testimonies collected by Alexandra Brangeon.

The conflict in Sudan erupted on April 15, 2023 between loyal forces to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and those of Mohamed Hamdane Dogolo "Hemedti", his former deputy and commander of rapid support paramilitary forces. Sudanese had to cope with this new tragedy, following 12 months of intense battles, war crimes, thousands of casualties, and millions of displaced people. RFI explores the situation of this East African country in its special edition, airing this Monday from 6:30 to 7:30 UTC.

A humanitarian conference was held in Paris on April 15, 2024, to address the ongoing "forgotten" war in Sudan. The goal is to break the silence surrounding the conflict, raise over a billion euros in donations, and coordinate efforts to end the violence. French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné lamented the year-long suffering of the Sudanese people, emphasizing the chaos and neglect they have endured.

It's been a year since the Sudanese war broke out between the army and paramilitaries. Virgil Hawkins, a teacher at Osaka International Public Policy School (Osipp) in Japan, analyzes its media coverage: "We can say that its start received relatively high media attention in the West. However, a few weeks later, after the expatriates were evacuated and the conflict began to spread beyond the capital, media coverage significantly decreased." Interview.

A year ago, clashes erupted in Khartoum, sparking a cycle of warfare between General Al Burhan's army and General Hemetti's paramilitaries, leading to the exodus of millions of Sudanese. Sudanese political and civil society elites initially scattered but have since been striving to amplify a different narrative from the military's. Among them is a coalition called "Taqaddum", the Coordination of Democratic Civil Forces, led by former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok. As Paris hosts a humanitarian conference on Sudan this…

Exactly one year ago, on April 15, 2023, war broke out in Sudan between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's army and General Mohamed Hamdan Dogolo's paramilitary forces, known as Hemedti. Amid this challenging situation, Sudanese people mobilized to establish a system of community mutual aid called "Emergency Response Rooms." These are small groups of young volunteers organized by neighborhood, providing essential support during the conflict. They have set up community kitchens to feed the people of Khartoum affected by the…

Monday, April 15 will mark the first anniversary of the war in Sudan. This conflict has displaced nearly 8.4 million people, with 1.5 million finding refuge abroad. Over 600,000, in particular, are currently in South Sudan. Most of them are "returnees", South Sudanese who lived in Sudan where some spent most of their lives, others were born there.