Dear FO° Reader,

Sudan’s story is longer than I can bring up in a newsletter. To recap, we could begin in April 2023, when the two military corps — the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — clashed in the capital, Khartoum, because they couldn’t agree on how to integrate their commands. The two generals, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (SAF) and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti (RSF), became rivals. 

What began as a military power struggle quickly turned into a devastating civil war. The conflict has so far displaced over 14 million people, with 25.6 million facing hunger and 15 million needing urgent medical attention. And there’s no end in sight. Since then, the Africa Corps, previously known as the Wagner Group, also meddled in the conflict.
We could also start in 2019, when youth-led protests toppled the long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir and paved the way for a transitional civilian government — only to have the military seize back control in 2021. Or we could go back much further, to Sudan’s colonial past, decades of marginalization, and unresolved ethnic tensions.

But let’s focus on the present — and how Sudanese and East African local media describe what they see.

1. Khartoum Has Fallen Silent, But the War Roars Elsewhere
While fighting in Khartoum has waned after massive destruction, the war has escalated in Darfur, Kordofan, and Gezira State. RSF now controls large swaths of Darfur and central Sudan. SAF has entrenched itself in the east and parts of the north.

Local Source: Radio Dabanga (in Sudanese Arabic) reports on widespread civilian killings and looting by RSF in El Fasher, while the SAF airstrikes have devastated entire districts.

2. A Region Destabilized: Eastern Chad Overwhelmed
Eastern Chad now hosts over 600,000 Sudanese refugees. Local media in N’Djamena, like Tchad Infos, reports mounting tensions between host communities and newcomers. Armed groups have intensified cross-border clashes and escalated arms trafficking.

Local Source: Tchad Infos – www.tchadinfos.com

3. Eritrean and Ethiopian Interests
The Elephant and East African press outlets note increased Eritrean troop movements near Sudan’s eastern border, raising concerns that President Isaias Afwerki could exploit the chaos to weaken Ethiopian influence or RSF dominance. Ethiopia, meanwhile, remains focused on its own fragile peace.

Source: The Elephant – “The Protracted Sudan Conflict and Why Mediation Has Failed”

4. “Arabs” and “Africans”: A Racial Civil War?
Sudanese commentary reflects rising ethnicized rhetoric—especially in Darfur, where the RSF (predominantly from Arab tribes) is accused of carrying out ethnically targeted massacres against African groups like the Masalit. This echoes the 2003–2005 Darfur genocide. 

Local Source: Sudan Tribune and Radio Dabanga report mass graves and call for international investigations.

5. Jeddah Talks Go Nowhere
Mediations in Jeddah, led by the US and Saudi Arabia, have stalled. Sudanese analysts point out that both RSF and SAF are arming themselves further, and neither wants peace now.

Local Source: Al Taghyeer – تغيير (a Khartoum-based Arabic outlet now working in exile)

6. A Humanitarian Collapse Without Witnesses
Access to war zones is nearly impossible for international journalists. Sudanese exile-based media like Sudan Tribune and Radio Dabanga have become the primary watchdogs. Medical workers report that entire regions — one of them is West Darfur — have no functioning hospitals left.

Source: RSF Report on Sudan’s Exile Media

7. “No One Comes for Us”: Voices from the Ground
An editorial from Al Hadatha, a digital paper run from Kassala, quotes a displaced teacher: “We are ghosts in our own country. If we wait for the generals to stop, we will die waiting.” Their reporting highlights how grassroots community networks in Port Sudan and Kassala are organizing food and medical support without any formal government aid.

8. Africa Corps and Foreign Mercenaries?
Sudanese opposition voices allege that Russian Wagner-linked militias and Emirati-supplied drones have aided the RSF. Meanwhile, SAF has received support from Egypt and covert Israeli technical aid. This militarization undermines any peace prospect.

Source: Al-Estiklal – UAE’s Dual Role in Sudan

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sudan’s war isn’t just a domestic conflict — it’s a regional crisis with implications stretching from the Red Sea to the Sahel. Local journalists, mainly now in exile, remain the primary lifeline for facts, testimonies and resistance. I believe that we must amplify these voices. War reporting cannot be left only to foreign correspondents parachuting in from richer societies who might be extremely well meaning but still look at the world through their cultural prisms.

We, at Fair Observer, make it our mission to bring you what is too often missing from mainstream narratives: grounded, local perspectives from places the world seems to forget. Sudan is not just a war zone — it is home to millions whose voices deserve to be heard. In times of chaos and silence.

At the risk of belaboring the point, we believe the world of world news must think harder, listen to local voices and publish many perspectives. So, if you come from Sudan or the surrounding regions, or if you have a story to tell from any overlooked corner of the world, please reply to this newsletter or write to submissions@fairobserver.com.

To Explore More:

• Radio Dabanga – Sudanese exile media
• Sudan Tribune – Independent Sudanese news in English
• The Elephant – East African analysis
• Al Taghyeer – Arabic outlet by Sudanese journalists
• RSF Report on Sudan’s Exile Media

Wishing you a reflective and informed week ahead,

Roberta Campani
Communications and Outreach

Related reading from Fair Observer
 
In April 2025, Christian Gherasim urged immediate global action to stop Sudan’s devastating conflict, which has caused widespread violence, displacement, and humanitarian crises. His article calls for increased diplomacy, aid, and international pressure to resolve the war and prevent further suffering.
 
Fernando Carvajal article discusses shifting dynamics in Sudan’s civil war, noting recent military gains by the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) and challenges faced by the Sudanese army. It highlights the worsening humanitarian crisis and calls for urgent international attention to prevent further escalation.
 
In this video discussion, Dr Giorgio Musso and Roberta, analyze Sudan’s conflict as a protracted regional crisis, examining its complex roots in political rivalries, ethnic tensions, and foreign interference. Experts highlight how neighboring countries and global powers have fueled the war, complicating peace efforts. The video stresses the urgent need for inclusive dialogue and coordinated international action to end the violence, which has displaced millions and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.