Sudan’s Ongoing Crisis Deepens
Comments from Fox News Digital have influenced the State Department’s stance on the conflict in Sudan.
The situation in Sudan is dire, with an estimated 13 to 15 million individuals displaced and around 150,000 fatalities reported since the fighting erupted between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) back in April 2023.
The RSF, currently surrounded in El Fasher and nearby areas, has allegedly committed numerous atrocities, including murder, torture, and various forms of sexual violence.
Landslides have claimed the lives of over 1,000 people in Darfur, Sudan.
Local residents are set to gather in Al Fascher on August 11, 2025, to receive free meals amid a blockade by the RSF, which has been ongoing for over a year. Recently, RSF forces attacked a refugee camp in North Darfur, resulting in the deaths of at least 40 civilians. Al Fascher remains the last city in western Darfur under Sudanese control as fighting persists.
Reports indicate that the RSF is using starvation as a weapon against the residents of El Fasher, stating that they “employ starvation as a means of warfare.”
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, has faced obstacles in visiting El Fasher to assess the situation.
“The predicament in El Fasher is catastrophic,” remarked Mariam Wahba, a research analyst at the Democracy Foundation. “The RSF is encircling cities, hindering major supply routes, and civilians are suffering from indiscriminate artillery fire. Satellite images clearly illustrate how civilians are trapped in the area, which aligns with RSF tactics seen previously. They are integrating both land and economic resources, notably gold mines.”
Recently, Massad Boulos, a former advisor to President Trump, met with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fatta al-Burhan in Switzerland. The State Department’s recent discourse regarding Sudan implies little has improved in terms of peace efforts.
A spokesperson remarked, “Since the conflict’s escalation in April 2023, there has been a notable decline in Sudan’s regard for fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom.”
Former White House adviser suggests “peacemaker” Trump could resolve Africa’s largest conflict.
In efforts to protect U.S. interests and religious freedom in Sudan, U.S. initiatives aim to mitigate the negative impacts of Islamism within Sudanese governance while curbing Iran’s local actions that have exacerbated regional instability and civilian hardships.
Wahba also expressed concern regarding the involvement of foreign entities in Sudan. “Iran has supplied drones and technical aid to the SAF, and there are indications of their interest in establishing aerial facilities. Their engagement in Sudan might be a way to expand their influence in Africa,” she noted.
Additionally, she highlighted that “Russia has been playing both sides of the conflict, seeking naval bases along Sudan’s Red Sea coast while benefiting from gold smuggling connected to RSF networks.”
Interestingly, local powers are pursuing their agendas as well. Egypt has shown public support for the SAF alongside Sudan’s leader, while Saudi Arabia aligns with Egypt in backing al-Burhan, which has implications for Sudan’s gold export management and port development along the coast.
Wahba concluded that al-Burhan’s readiness to engage with Washington could signal a potential opportunity. This does not imply that the U.S. should give unconditional support to the SAF, but it could lay the groundwork for a more defined American strategy moving forward.
