Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces go to war in Khartoum

On 15 April 2023, fighting broke out in Khartoum between Sudan's regular army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Clashes began around military sites and the capital's airport and quickly spread to other cities and regions, including Darfur.

The two generals had worked together in the 2021 coup that ended Sudan's transition toward civilian rule. Their partnership collapsed amid disputes over how the RSF should be merged into the army and who would command the combined force. Those talks were part of a planned political deal meant to restore civilian government.

The war caused one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. Millions of people were displaced inside Sudan or fled to neighbouring countries, and hunger, attacks on civilians and the collapse of health services were widely reported. Drone strikes later became a common feature of the fighting, leaving many civilians, including children, with severe injuries.