Sudan Conflict:
What's Next?

The present conflict which started in 2023, is between the Sudanese Armed Forces of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces of Muhammad Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. The two leaders of these factions were actually allies in overthrowing Sudan's President, Omer Al-Bashir in 2019.

Unfortunately, as they engage in a power struggle for control of the nation, both men have caused great harm and destruction. Both are guilty of committing atrocities.

Several organizations and nations have deemed the situation a genocide, including the United States which declared it a genocide in January 2025 and has placed sanctions on Sudan. The International Criminal Court, however, has not made a formal declaration of genocide. Nonetheless, the ICC had issued arrest warrants for the arrest of the former president on charges of genocide, and crimes against humanity.

"The international community can and should be doing more to resolve this humanitarian crisis."

There is precedent for international action in lieu of the ICC's formal declaration. In 1999, President Bill Clinton authorized missile strikes in Yugoslavia to stop President Slobodan Milosevic's ethnic cleansing of Albanians. While this was a NATO operation, it was done without the support of the international community, the United Nations Security Council or the US Congress — although the US Senate voted to approve the operation, but not the House of Representatives.

This is not to suggest that missile strikes should be authorized, but rather that the international community can and should be doing more to resolve this humanitarian crisis. From the American perspective, the shutting down of USAID has resulted in millions of Sudanese facing starvation.

The Quad: A Coalition at Cross-Purposes

There is a coalition of nations that was formed in 2021 to support a democratic transition. Known as the Quad, the coalition originally consisted of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom — which was replaced by Egypt in 2025. The problem with the Quad is that various members have their own vested interest in the conflict.

This conflict of interest between the nations only exacerbates an already tragic situation.

"Sudan's military leadership must be subordinate to civilian leadership."

A Path Forward

If the Quad is to be successful, it must first convince the two factions — whether by incentives or the threat of arrest and subsequent conviction — to come to the table to negotiate an end to the war. Second, Sudan's military leadership must be subordinate to civilian leadership.

There is no doubt that colonization was the genesis of many problems faced by Sudan and should not be minimized. The British divided the nation into an Arab Muslim north and Black African south, thereby creating many of the tense rivalries which exist today.

Sudan has been in the throes of civil war longer than not, and international involvement has in some sense exacerbated the situation. Despite that reality, if the crisis in Sudan is to be ended, the international community must remain involved. In addition, it is time for major media organizations to make this the major humanitarian story that it is.