• The identity of Sudan (Map)
• Sudan is starving
• The current tragic toll
• The Greeks in Sudan
• The two factions of the Civil War
• The two rival generals
• The history of their dispute
• Foreign involvement | Part 1
• Foreign involvement | Part 2
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Population: 49.4 million
Capital: Khartoum
Geographically, Sudan is located in North Africa and borders Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan (an independent state since 2011 that seceded from Sudan through a referendum), the Central African Republic, Chad, and Libya.
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Due to the civil war, a severe food crisis has been ongoing in the country since April 2023.
According to UNICEF, 755,000 people are at immediate risk of famine, while 25.6 million—half the population—are experiencing severe hunger.
Humanitarian organizations requested $2.7 billion for Sudan at the end of 2023, but less than 17% of this amount has been funded.
In the next 6 months, it is estimated that over 10 million people in Sudan will lack access to food and other basic necessities, leading to severe deprivation.
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The number of deaths from the war in Sudan, which has been ongoing for 16 months, exceeds 15,500, according to the UN.
According to the WHO, the number of refugees is estimated at 12 million.
Of these, approximately 10 million are internally displaced, while 2 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Chad, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
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The presence of Greeks in Sudan dates back to the early 20th century. Between the 1950s and 1960s, the Greek community in Sudan numbered around 6,000 members.
There were Greek schools and Greek Orthodox churches in Khartoum and smaller towns. By 2023, approximately 250 Greeks were living in Sudan. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the days following the outbreak of the war, 125 of them, along with their family members, were repatriated.
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– The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the country’s de facto ruler.
– The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
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He rose to power following the turbulent uprising against President Omar Hasan al-Bashir, who was deposed in April 2019 after large-scale protests.
After a power-sharing agreement was signed between civilians and the military, al-Burhan assumed the role of Chairman of the Sovereign Council, a body established to guide Sudan’s transition to democratic governance. However, he has shown reluctance to relinquish power.
His primary rival is Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan, who leads the powerful paramilitary group RSF.
Hamdan gained prominence as the commander of the Janjaweed militia, which was responsible for war crimes during the Darfur conflict in a previous Sudanese civil war.
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In October 2021, the two leaders joined forces and seized control of the government through a coup, effectively making them the head and deputy head of Sudan.
However, they could not reach an agreement on several issues, including the timeline for integrating the Rapid Support Forces into the regular army. By April 2023, after months of mounting tensions, their forces began to engage in direct conflict with each other.
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According to the New York Times, Sudan is home to some of Africa’s largest gold mining operations, which contributes to significant foreign involvement in the civil war.
The Sudanese military is reportedly receiving military equipment from Iran.
However, the most substantial external influence comes from the UAE, which has secretly supplied the RSF with weapons but denies supporting any particular side.
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The Russian mercenaries from Wagner provided weapons to the RSF. This led Ukraine to deploy special forces, who are reportedly conducting operations alongside the Sudanese military.
Since Wagner was officially dissolved last year, the Russian government has renewed its ties with the Sudanese military. In May, a senior general indicated that Sudan might grant Russia access to the Red Sea in exchange for arms.
