The conflict between Sudan’s army-aligned government and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces threatens to spill over into all-out civil war after mediation efforts by East Africa’s IGAD were rejected.
The regional summit in Addis Ababa had proposed sending an international peacekeeping force. Still, the army had already boycotted it, which had accused Kenya - spearheading the efforts - of supporting the RSF. An upcoming summit hosted by Egypt has received a more favorable response, however. Cairo is widely thought to be closer to the army leadership.
Much of the capital Khartoum has already been abandoned or destroyed due to the fighting, with almost three million displaced, the majority from the Khartoum region and Darfur in the west. Around 697,000 people have fled to neighboring countries, and at least 24.7 million people - about half of the population – urgently need humanitarian aid.
