Fourteen million people have been displaced by Sudan's civil war, now in its fourth year, as the military leadership vows to continue fighting until the end of 2026 despite international pleas for an immediate ceasefire. Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged the world to support efforts to halt the conflict, calling for humanitarian corridors for civilians trapped in cities like Al Obeid, where access to food and health care is severely limited.
A War With No End in Sight
The Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, said they would continue fighting to defeat the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces by the end of 2026. Analysts called the goal too ambitious given the RSF's deep entrenchment in western Sudan. Gen Al Burhan has resisted mediation offers by regional and international powers and vowed to pursue war despite calls to end the conflict and reinstall civilian rule. The RSF's leader, Gen Mohamed Dagalo, appears more open to negotiations, though his stance is widely suspected to be motivated by a desire to gain legitimacy.
The war broke out when differences between Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo boiled over into open hostilities that began in Khartoum and soon spread across the country. Apart from Darfur, the RSF controls parts of the Kordofan and Blue Nile regions, while the SAF controls the capital as well as northern, central and eastern Sudan. Each side has its own government, with the army-aligned administration in Port Sudan on the Red Sea and the RSF's in Nyala in Darfur.
Atrocities and Extremist Alliances
Both sides have been accused of atrocities. The Sudanese army is accused of indiscriminate bombing and the use of chemical weapons. The RSF has also been placed under sanctions over alleged war crimes. Both sides' commanders are already under sanctions.
Sudan's military leadership has also faced scrutiny after announcing plans to integrate Islamist extremist militias once loyal to former president Omar Al Bashir's regime. Critics say those militias have helped the army make up for manpower shortages and have an interest in prolonging the war until Islamists complete a political comeback after their ouster in the 2018-2019 uprising.
Humanitarian Catastrophe Deepens
Pope Leo said, "I continue to follow with concern the tragic situation in Sudan, especially in the city of Al Obeid." He called for humanitarian corridors for civilians and expressed his "spiritual closeness" to the Sudanese people. Access to food and health care is severely limited in Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.
Last month, the UN's human rights chief, Volker Turk, warned that a human rights catastrophe was unfolding amid intensifying fighting. The war has sparked one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Pope Leo urged the international community to support efforts aimed at bringing about an immediate ceasefire and added, "Let us pray that the Lord may sustain those who are suffering, convert the hearts of those who sow violence, and grant the long-awaited peace."
Why This Matters:
Sudan's civil war has now entered its fourth year with no diplomatic resolution in sight and 14 million people displaced — a scale of human suffering that rivals the world's most acute crises. Gen Al Burhan's refusal to engage with mediation efforts, combined with the military's reported integration of Islamist extremist militias, signals a dangerous trajectory: prolonged conflict driven not by strategic necessity but by political ambition and ideological revival. The RSF's entrenchment in western Sudan and both sides' documented atrocities mean civilians will continue to bear the cost of a war neither side appears willing to end. International pressure has so far failed to produce meaningful accountability or humanitarian access, leaving millions trapped between two armed factions with little regard for civilian life.