What is happening in SUDAN!!!

Sudan is currently experiencing a power struggle between two military factions, which has led to fighting in the capital city of Khartoum and other parts of the country. The conflict is between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who has been head of the Sudanese armed forces for the past few years and acts as a de facto leader of the country, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who was previously Burhan's deputy and now seeks to be the undisputed ruler of Sudan. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group formed in 2013 and led by Dagalo, are fighting against the Sudanese army. The conflict has killed hundreds of people and has led to a humanitarian crisis in the country. The situation is complicated by Sudan's strategic location and agricultural wealth, which have attracted regional power plays and made a successful transition more difficult.

The conflict in Sudan is ongoing and has been continuing for nearly two weeks since it began on April 15, when violence broke out between the country's army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces1. The conflict has claimed over 400 lives and injured 3,700, creating a growing humanitarian crisis and forcing foreign nations, including the U.S., to evacuate their embassies. The conflict represents a power struggle between two Sudanese generals, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (widely known as Hemedti), who are vying for control of the country. The fighting has caused a humanitarian crisis, as people have been forced to remain largely in their homes, only occasionally able to use a pause in the battles to stock up on essential supplies. The situation is worrying Sudan's neighbors and other countries for reasons ranging from concern about shared Nile waters and oil pipelines to the shape of a new government and a new humanitarian crisis in the making.

The international community is providing aid to Sudan to help alleviate the effects of the conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis. The United States is the largest international donor of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, providing impartial, needs-based assistance to vulnerable populations. The UN and its humanitarian partners are appealing for $3 billion to assist South Sudanese refugees and displaced persons, with $327 million of that meant to aid host communities and agencies helping South Sudanese refugees in Sudan. The focus is on internally displaced people, and the 2018 humanitarian appeal for Sudan, which requests $1 billion to aid 4.3 million people, will be released in the coming weeks. However, the 2017 humanitarian appeal was only 46% funded, the first time less than half of requested funding was received since the start of the Darfur crisis in 2003. The military takeover in Sudan has led to the suspension of international financial aid to the country.

The United Nations has been involved in mediation efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan. The UN Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, has reported that multiple mediation efforts are underway in Sudan. The UN has condemned the coup and called for the restoration of constitutional order. The UN continues to play a good offices role in Sudan and is supporting some of the talks. The UN has a long history of engaging in efforts to bring peace and stability to Sudan, which has been marked by decades of political instability and armed conflict. However, there is no clear information on the specific actions being taken by the UN to resolve the current conflict in Sudan.

The UN Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan is responsible for playing a good offices role on behalf of the Secretary-General to support the establishment and maintenance of good and peaceful neighborly relations between Sudan and South Sudan1. The Special Envoy has worked closely with and in support of the efforts by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) in assisting the parties to reach a negotiated settlement to residual Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Sudan in December 2013. The Special Envoy also supported efforts by the region to resolve the crisis in South Sudan. The UN Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan is also the head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). The current UN Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, is also involved in mediation efforts to resolve the current conflict in Sudan.