Two years of Sudan's third bloody civil war, a forgotten conflict

April 15 marked the two-year anniversary of the third civil war in Sudan, which has so far left some 130,000 dead and hundreds of thousands wounded and has led to the displacement of some 12,000,000 people. In addition, it is estimated that around 730,000 children suffered from acute malnutrition in 2024 and that half of its population is living in acute hunger.

However, it is not an easy task to obtain reliable data on the conflict, as few international agencies work in the area and journalists face severe restrictions on access to the region.

Despite the fact that this is one of the bloodiest conflicts in the world today, it is often not given the prominence it deserves, as it remains in the background, when all the spotlight of the press and many governments seems to be on the way Israel is defending itself against against Hamas and other terrorist groups in the aftermath of October 7, the worst massacre against Jews since the Holocaust.

The Sudanese army versus the Rapid Support Forces

The two sides in conflict are the Sudanese army, led by the de facto ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rebels, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti-, who was vice president of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) after the 2019 Sudanese coup, when dictator Omar al-Bashir was forced to step down.

Recently, a brutal attack killed more than 300 civilians, according to preliminary UN estimates.

It was a bombing by the RSF on the refugee camp of Zamzam, in the north of Darfur and close to the city of El Fasher, as part of a strategy to take control of the place, which they succeeded in doing.

It should be noted that the Darfur region is strategically located, with control over some of Sudan's largest gold mines and close to key border crossings.

Some 400,000 people fled the area during the attack, including children, the elderly and women.

The UN estimates that the number of civilians killed and displaced will continue to rise.

Speaking to the BBC, a resident of Zamzam said people working in the community kitchen were killed. He also added that the doctors involved in the initiative to reopen the hospital were also killed.

The 34-year-old also maintained that some of his relatives were killed and that there were no medicines or medical teams or hospitals to help the large number of wounded.

At least nine of those killed in the heavy shelling were medical workers operating the last active health center in the camp. The New York Times published testimonies that told how the health workers took refuge in a bunker, but RSF forces arrived and shot them dead.

Sudanese army controls Khartoum

In recent weeks, the Sudanese army made a number of significant gains, especially when they took full control of Khartoum, Sudan's capital.

The RSF were forced to withdraw and concentrate their efforts on the main region they still control almost entirely: Darfur, in southwestern Sudan, an area that has been suffering from decades of violent attacks, killings and genocide.

The Zamzam camp was previously home to half a million people, and in the last months of the war may have reached a density of more than 700,000.

Speaking to The Guardian, a staff member of the NGO Preventing & Ending Mass Atrocities claimed to have reports of Zamzam residents being executed in the streets of the refugee camp.

In the final stage of the Biden Administration, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined that the RSF were committing systematic and organized genocide in Sudan.

A complex conflict

The Sudanese Armed Forces are strongly supported by Iran, which supplies them with drones and weaponry, by Russia, which also collaborates with weapons, Egypt, which offers mainly limited air support, and Eritrea.

On the other hand, the RSF receive strong support from United Arab Emirates because of strategic issues and a historical tie with Hemedti, and from Ethiopia, which collaborates with the rebels to counter Egypt and Eritrea.

Murders to the cry of "Allahu Akbar"

In images published by Reuters, an armed RSF fighter is seen threatening three individuals lying on the ground in Zamzam.

Bodies can also be seen on the ground, with one fighter shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") inside the refugee camp.

RSF fighters are also seen storming a medical insurance office, with gunfire heard and smoke visible in the background.