Sudan's War: A Catastrophe Where Arms Testing and Humanitarian Crisis Intertwine

Drones roar overhead and ground artillery thunders, yet beneath it all, countless starving Sudanese civilians scavenge amid the ruins for a glimmer of hope to survive.

On November 6 (local time), Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) issued a statement agreeing to the proposal for a humanitarian ceasefire. However, this news did not spark much optimism among Sudanese people who have been devastated by the war. Just two days earlier, Sudan’s Minister of Defense, Hassan Abdel Karim al-Burhan, had firmly stated that after discussing the latest ceasefire plan proposed by four countries including the United States, the Sudanese Security and Defense Council had decided to continue fighting against the RSF. This contradictory scenario—where ceasefires and combat coexist—epitomizes the complexity of Sudan’s armed conflict that has dragged on for over two years.

Behind the superficial agreement to a ceasefire lies ongoing, and potentially escalating, military confrontation. The recent focus of the war has shifted from the Darfur region to Kordofan, a strategic location connecting Darfur to the capital, Khartoum. After capturing El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, the RSF is attempting to advance eastward into Kordofan, where the tragedy of the Siege of El Fasher is repeating itself.

Amid this prolonged conflict, Sudan has effectively become a global testing ground for weapons. The weapons systems used by warring parties reveal the complexity of international arms flows. Reports indicate that some foreign mercenaries, including Colombians, were recruited through Emirati companies to join the RSF’s combat operations. Further evidence suggests that certain third countries are providing weapons to the warring parties through indirect channels. Somalia’s Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, confirmed that transport aircraft linked to the United Arab Emirates are using Bosaso Airport in Somalia’s Puntland region as a logistics hub to deliver supplies to western Sudan. These external interventions are not driven by humanitarian concerns, but by geopolitical and resource interests—particularly Sudan’s abundant gold reserves.

At the same time, the conflict has inflicted an unignorable humanitarian toll. Sudan’s armed conflict, which has lasted since April 2023, has triggered a severe humanitarian disaster. It has claimed nearly 30,000 lives and displaced over 12 million people. The latest UN report notes that approximately 21.2 million people in Sudan—equivalent to 45% of the country’s total population—face acute food insecurity.

The impact of Sudan’s crisis has transcended national borders, sending shockwaves across the entire region. In South Sudan, fighting has surged across various areas, displacing over 445,000 people so far this year and further exacerbating one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises. The combined effects of Sudan’s conflict, recurring intercommunal violence, and large-scale floods have inflicted severe damage on local communities. The influx of refugees from Sudan has worsened South Sudan’s already dire humanitarian situation. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in collaboration with the South Sudan Red Cross, has provided assistance to 196,000 displaced people and returnees from Sudan. Grace Wani, a mother of four who is now displaced in Yambio, Western Equatoria State, recounted her experience: “When fighting broke out in the village, I ran away with my children without looking back. We walked for days without food, and my youngest child fell ill along the way.”

Faced with the escalating crisis, the international community has attempted to respond. A quartet led by the United States, with the participation of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, has been mediating since June this year, aiming to push Sudan’s warring parties to a ceasefire and reach a negotiated solution. In September this year, the quartet called on the warring parties to implement a 3-month humanitarian ceasefire, followed by the launch of a transition process to form a civilian government within 9 months. However, this proposal was quickly rejected by the Sudanese government, which emphasized that discussions about the country’s future must be led by Sudanese people themselves. Humanitarian organizations are doing their utmost to address the crisis. The ICRC, in partnership with the South Sudan Red Cross, provides food support, cash assistance, and essential supplies to affected communities. Yet these efforts face a severe challenge of insufficient funding. The ICRC has warned that a sharp decline in aid funding and the imminent collapse of basic services have left people facing increasingly dire hardships and uncertainty.

Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stated: “Sudan is facing an unimaginable catastrophic humanitarian emergency. Famine is spreading, sexual violence is rampant, children are being killed and injured—the suffering is appalling.” In Sudan’s cities and villages, the ruins hold not only shattered bricks and tiles, but also shattered lives. The strategic games of international politics and weapons testing are ultimately paid for by Sudanese civilians—with their hunger, displacement, and lives.

Local people crave a ceasefire, yet they also fear that ceasefire commitments will vanish as quickly as they have in the past. This prolonged conflict not only tests the resilience of the Sudanese people, but also challenges the conscience and action of the international community. Trapped between weapons testing and a humanitarian crisis, Sudan’s future remains fraught with uncertainty, while ordinary people continue to struggle to survive in the shadow of war.