Sudan is burning, and the world has barely noticed. More than 150,000 people have been killed. Over 1.2 crore people—imagine the entire population of Mumbai—have been forced to flee their homes. The United Nations calls it the world's biggest humanitarian crisis right now. Yet, until recently, global leaders stayed silent. Now, US President Donald Trump has broken that silence, calling Sudan "the most violent place on Earth" and promising to fix it. But can he really? And why did it take so long for the world to pay attention?
Let me be honest with you—this war is brutal, complicated, and full of players who don't want peace. It started in April 2023 when Sudan's army, led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, began fighting the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also called Hemedti. These two men were once allies who together overthrew Sudan's dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. But they soon turned on each other, fighting over power, control of the army, and who would rule Sudan. The real fight was about merging the RSF's one lakh fighters into the regular army—and neither general wanted to give up control.
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What started as a power struggle quickly became a nightmare for ordinary Sudanese people. The RSF captured large parts of Khartoum, Sudan's capital, turning it into a burnt-out ruin. Government buildings, hospitals, and homes were destroyed. By the time the army took back the city in March 2025—almost two years later—Khartoum looked like a graveyard. Patients were killed inside hospitals during air strikes. The international airport, once filled with destroyed planes, only reopened in October for domestic flights. And just a day before the official reopening, an RSF drone struck nearby. That's how unsafe things still are.
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But the worst horrors are happening in Darfur, a region in western Sudan. The RSF and allied Arab militias are accused of carrying out genocide against non-Arab communities, especially the Massalit people. In March 2024, the UN children's agency Unicef reported that armed men were raping and sexually assaulting children as young as one year old. Some children tried to end their own lives because of the trauma. Human Rights Watch warned that the RSF may be trying to ethnically cleanse Darfur, killing thousands and forcing survivors to leave forever. In January this year, then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken officially declared that the RSF committed genocide in Sudan. He said they systematically killed men, boys, and even infants based on their ethnicity, and deliberately raped women and girls from certain communities.
The RSF denies everything, calling it a "tribal conflict." But UN investigators heard witness statements from survivors who described how RSF fighters used racist insults during sexual attacks, saying they would force non-Arab women to have "Arab babies." With the RSF now controlling almost all of Darfur after capturing El-Fasher in October, there is serious fear for the 250,000 people still trapped in the city—most of them from non-Arab communities.
So where is the international community? That's the frustrating part. There have been many peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, but all of them failed. The RSF recently said it would accept a humanitarian ceasefire proposed by the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. But the army is cautious, accusing the RSF of breaking previous ceasefires. Meanwhile, the world has barely been paying attention. UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the BBC in September 2024, "I think race is playing a role here." He meant that because Sudan is in Africa, the world cares less compared to wars in Europe or the Middle East. The International Crisis Group called global peace efforts "weak and ineffective," and Amnesty International said the response has been "terribly insufficient."
And here's the worst part—foreign powers are fueling this war, not stopping it. There's a UN arms embargo on Darfur since 2004, but weapons still pour in. Amnesty International found weapons made in Serbia, Russia, China, Turkey, Yemen, and the UAE being used in Sudan. The UAE is widely accused of being the main supplier to the RSF, who in return use the UAE as a hub to sell smuggled gold. The army is reportedly getting weapons from Iran and Egypt. Even British-made weapons were allegedly found with the RSF, leading to criticism of the UK government. Everyone denies these accusations, but the evidence keeps piling up.
Now Trump says he wants to fix Sudan. He wrote that the country was once a "great civilisation" but has now become the most violent place on Earth, desperately needing food, doctors, and basic supplies. He said Arab leaders, especially Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, urged him to use his influence to stop the violence. Trump promised the US would work with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern partners to end the atrocities and stabilise Sudan.
But here's my question—can Trump actually deliver? His administration just cut humanitarian aid, which has already shut down over 1,100 emergency food kitchens in Sudan. The World Food Programme says over 2.4 crore people are facing acute hunger. Aid workers call Sudan a "forgotten war." So while Trump's words sound strong, actions matter more.
I want to believe Trump can help. But fixing Sudan requires stopping the weapons flow, pressuring both generals to negotiate, and holding foreign powers accountable. It requires the world to actually care. Sudan deserves better than being forgotten.