Sudan's military leadership has pledged to continue its war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces through the end of 2026, rejecting international mediation even as Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian corridors for trapped civilians. Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan's army-led government vowed to eradicate the RSF despite the conflict now entering its fourth year with no clear path to victory, a timeline analysts dismissed as overly ambitious given the RSF's deep entrenchment across western Sudan.
In an address on Sunday, Pope Leo said he urged "the international community to support efforts aimed at bringing about an immediate ceasefire." He 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." The pontiff specifically called for humanitarian corridors for civilians trapped in areas hit by fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, noting he continued "to follow with concern the tragic situation in Sudan, especially in the city of Al Obeid."
Military Stalemate and Rejected Mediation
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 rather than genuine commitment to peace. 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. The territorial division reflects a conflict that's evolved from a power struggle into a fragmented civil war with competing state structures.
War Crimes and Islamist Militia Integration
The Sudanese army is accused of atrocities including 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 eighth year to ninth year uprising.
The reintegration of Islamist militias raises concerns about the army's long-term political goals beyond defeating the RSF. These groups, which were sidelined after Al Bashir's fall, now see the conflict as an opportunity to regain influence within Sudan's security apparatus and political system.
Humanitarian Catastrophe in Al Obeid and Beyond
Access to food and health care is severely limited in Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, where Pope Leo expressed his "spiritual closeness" to the Sudanese people. 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 and displaced about 14 million people.
The scale of displacement reflects not just the intensity of combat but the systematic targeting of civilian populations by both sides. Entire cities have been emptied as residents flee bombardment, militia raids, and the collapse of basic services. The humanitarian crisis has received limited international attention compared to conflicts in other regions, leaving aid organizations struggling to meet overwhelming needs with inadequate resources.
Why This Matters:
Sudan's refusal to negotiate while integrating Islamist militias signals a conflict that's metastasizing beyond a simple power struggle into a broader ideological war with regional implications. The army's reliance on extremist groups to compensate for manpower shortages risks entrenching radical elements within Sudan's security structure, reversing gains made during the uprising that toppled Al Bashir. With 14 million people displaced and both sides accused of war crimes, the humanitarian catastrophe will continue to worsen without meaningful international pressure on both the SAF and RSF to accept mediation. The territorial division into competing governments threatens to formalize Sudan's fragmentation, creating failed state conditions that could destabilize neighboring countries and provide safe haven for terrorist networks. Gen Al Burhan's rejection of ceasefire calls demonstrates that military leaders on both sides see continued war as preferable to the political compromises required for peace, leaving civilians trapped between two forces with no incentive to stop fighting.