Sudan

[…] The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the former deputy to the regular army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced the rival government amid growing international fears that Sudan could become split between the two sides, who have both been accused of abuses.

A British-led attempt to establish a contact group to facilitate ceasefire talks in Sudan fell apart on Tuesday when Arab states refused to sign a joint communique after a conference in London.

Two years to the day since Sudan’s brutal war erupted between rival generals who rejected the peaceful transition to civilian rule after the overthrow of Omar Al-Bashir, UN chief António Guterres insisted that the world “must not forget” the suffering of the country’s people. 

As Sudan’s devastating war enters its third year, UN rights investigators are warning that its “darkest chapters” may still lie ahead, following the massacre of more than 100 people at displacement camps in Darfur over the weekend. The latest attacks, which began on 11 April, saw Rapid Support Forces (RSF)-affiliated forces launch coordinated assaults on Zamzam and Abu Shouk – two of the largest camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Darfur – as well as the regional capital, El Fasher.

The Red Cross raised alarm on Thursday at the growing use of drone attacks by warring parties on hospitals, electricity and water infrastructure in Sudan, which it said was contributing to widespread human rights violations.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing a case brought by Sudan accusing the United Arab Emirates of being "complicit in the genocide" during the current civil war.

The British government is bringing together foreign ministers from nearly 20 countries and organisations in an attempt to establish a group that can drive the warring factions in Sudan closer towards peace.

After the Sudanese army recaptured Khartoum, many hoped that Sudan’s war would start winding down. Instead, as it enters its third year, the conflict is escalating and likely to expand in scope, unless diplomats make a concerted push for peace talks. 

Amid alarming reports of sexual violence being used as a weapon of terror across Sudan, UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, is warning that over 12 million women and girls – and increasingly men and boys – are estimated to be at risk.

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is spiralling as rival militaries continue to battle for control of the country, with the UN expressing profound alarm on Monday over escalating hostilities, particularly in North Darfur.