Sudan: A Nation Under Strain, And An Appeal For The World To Look Again

Sudan’s war has become more than a contest for military control. For millions of Sudanese, it has evolved into a prolonged struggle for security, dignity, access to basic services and the possibility of returning to a normal life.

Against this backdrop, the government of Sudan is calling for renewed international attention to what it describes as the devastating consequences of the conflict and the activities of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which the government describes as a rebel militia.

According to the Sudanese government, the conflict, which began with the RSF rebellion in April 2023, has inflicted widespread harm on civilians and placed enormous pressure on the country’s institutions and essential infrastructure. The government says the consequences have extended across communities, affecting women, children, older persons and other vulnerable groups.

The government’s account alleges that civilians have been subjected to unlawful and extrajudicial killings, attacks on residential areas, sexual violence and forced displacement. It further alleges attacks on property and civilian facilities, alongside the looting and destruction of public and private infrastructure.

These allegations form the central part of Khartoum’s appeal for stronger international engagement. The government argues that the destruction of infrastructure and disruption of essential services have consequences that extend beyond the immediate battlefield, making the restoration of functioning state institutions and the return of displaced populations considerably more difficult.

At the heart of the government’s position is the argument that Sudan’s crisis should not be viewed solely through the prism of a military confrontation. It maintains that the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national institutions must remain central to any effort to resolve the conflict.

The government insists that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are the country’s legitimate national military institution and rejects what it regards as attempts to place the national army on the same footing as the RSF, which it identifies as a rebel militia.

It also objects to what it describes as external interference in Sudan’s affairs and calls for an end to military, financial and logistical support to the RSF. According to the government, cutting off sources of financing and arms supplies to the militia should form part of a broader international effort to bring the conflict to an end.

Yet, the government’s message is not presented solely as a call for pressure. It also presents itself as an appeal for a pathway towards peace.

Khartoum says it remains open to serious regional and international peace initiatives and is prepared to participate in an inclusive Sudanese political process, provided that Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and national institutions are respected. It says any sustainable settlement must create conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of internally displaced people and refugees.

That emphasis is significant in a country where displacement has become one of the defining consequences of the war.

For those forced from their homes, the meaning of the conflict is not confined to military positions on a map. It is measured in interrupted livelihoods, fractured communities, damaged homes, disrupted public services and an uncertain prospect of return.

The Sudanese government, therefore, wants the international response to encompass more than diplomacy. It is calling for stronger civilian protection, humanitarian access, support for voluntary return and reconstruction, while insisting that humanitarian action remain neutral.

The government further argues that accountability must accompany any peace process. It says those responsible for violations against civilians, as well as those who support them, should face justice under international law and international humanitarian law. It rejects what it describes as attempts to grant impunity or obscure the facts surrounding alleged violations.

There is, consequently, a broader question at the centre of Sudan’s appeal: how can a country rebuild when the institutions responsible for providing security and essential services have themselves been placed under extraordinary pressure by prolonged conflict?

The Government of Sudan says the answer must begin with the preservation of the country’s state institutions and sovereignty, an end to external support for armed groups, protection of civilians and a Sudanese-led political process.

Its appeal to the international community is ultimately framed around these principles: support Sudanese state institutions, strengthen civilian protection, facilitate humanitarian assistance, cut off what it describes as external sources of military support to the RSF, and help create the conditions for peace and reconstruction.

For Sudan, the stakes are, therefore, larger than who controls a particular city or territory.

They concern whether a country fractured by war can preserve its institutions, protect its people and eventually reconstruct the social and physical foundations of national life.

And as the war continues to exact its toll, Khartoum’s message to the international community is clear: Sudan wants the conflict, the suffering of its civilians and the forces sustaining the war to receive sustained international attention—and it wants peace to be pursued without compromising the country’s sovereignty, unity and national decision-making.

By Amna Ibrahim

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