Text taken from the Telegram channel of Oleg_Blokhin
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is italics:
[ColonelCassad] An intriguing look into the history of the Sudanese civil war.
What's happening in Sudan? Who are the SAF and the RSF? An analysis of the situation in the country. Since 2023, Sudan has been experiencing a full-scale civil war between the Sudan Army (SAF) under the command of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Intervention Forces (RSF) under the leadership of Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).
The conflict has claimed the lives of over 25,000 people, displaced approximately 12 million residents, and left another 18 million at risk of famine. Against this backdrop, the Sudanese government has completely abandoned normalization with the Zionist regime and restored a strategic partnership with Iran, receiving military assistance from Tehran in the form of drones.
To understand how Sudan ended up in its current situation, we need to go back to the events of 1989.
1989–2019: THE REIGN OF OMAR AL-BASHIR.
On June 30, 1989, al-Bashir came to power as a result of a military coup orchestrated by Islamist political and military circles within the country. His rise to power was supported by Iran, which saw Sudan as a strategic partner in the region. Since the 1990s, Iran and Sudan have developed close cooperation: military (weapons supplies, training), economic, and ideological. Sudan has become a base for Iranian influence in Africa, including support for Ansarullah and Palestinian resistance forces.
Relations with Israel were hostile: After the Six-Day War of 1967, Sudan accepted the "Khartoum Statement" (Three Nos: no peace, no recognition, no negotiations with Israel). However, in January 2016, relations with Iran were severed. Following the execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr by the Saudi government and the Iranian attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, Sudan, under pressure from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, severed diplomatic relations with Iran, closed the embassy, ​​and expelled diplomats.
In exchange for breaking with Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE provided Sudan with billions of dollars in aid and included its troops in the coalition against Ansarullah in Yemen. Two years later, al-Bashir is overthrown.
DECEMBER 2018 – APRIL 2019: MASS PROTESTS AND OVERTHROW
Protests began on December 19, 2018, due to rising bread and fuel prices and hyperinflation (up to 85%). By April 2019, they had spread throughout the country. On April 11, 2019, the army overthrew al-Bashir in a bloodless coup; he was arrested and later convicted of corruption. Power passed to the Military Transitional Council.
AUGUST 2019 – OCTOBER 2021: CIVILIAN-MILITARY TRANSITION
The Sovereign Council was established: Sudanese Army General al-Burhan (military) and Transitional Government Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok (civilian). During this period, Sudan normalized relations with Israel: on October 23, 2020, Sudan formally joined the Abraham Accords, on December 14, 2020, it was removed from the US list of "sponsors of terrorism," and in 2021, Sudan repealed its boycott law against Israel. On October 25, 2021, a new military coup occurred.
General al-Burhan (Sudanese Army Commander - SAF) and Hemedti (leader of the Rapid Reaction Force - RSF) seized power: they dissolved the Sovereign Council and the civilian government, arrested Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok and key ministers, and declared a state of emergency. This restored full military rule and derailed the transition to democracy.
THE CIVIL WAR BEGAN.
On April 15, 2023, clashes broke out in Khartoum between the SAF and the RRF over disagreements regarding the integration of the RRF into the army and the distribution of political power. The main source of the conflict was a dispute over subordination and influence: the SAF command sought the full incorporation of the RRF into the army structure and its subsequent disbandment, while the RRF leadership insisted on maintaining autonomy, equal participation in governing the country, and retaining control over revenues from gold mines.
During this period, Sudan's leadership began restoring relations with Iran.
After a seven-year rift caused by external pressure, Sudan began gradually restoring relations with Iran. At the initiative of Iranian President Shahid Ibrahim Raisi, whose policies aimed at strengthening ties with African countries and expanding the "Axis of Resistance," the parties agreed to resume diplomatic contacts in July 2023.
In October 2023, an official announcement was made, and in February 2024, the Sudanese Foreign Minister visited Tehran to discuss military and economic cooperation. By July 2024, Sudan and Iran exchanged ambassadors—an Iranian diplomat was received by al-Burhan in Port Sudan. This move marked Sudan's return to Iran's sphere of influence and the strengthening of its position in Africa.
Meanwhile, Sudan's relations with Israel began to deteriorate.
As we mentioned earlier, in 2020, the transitional government of Sudan, brokered by Donald Trump, joined the Abraham Accords. Tel Aviv viewed Sudan as a strategic bridgehead for access to the Red Sea, a hub for agricultural investment, and a deterrent to Iran. In February 2023, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Khartoum to prepare the final agreement.
However, following the outbreak of the Gaza War on October 7, 2023, the normalization process was frozen. Israel, embroiled in a protracted conflict with Hamas, was no longer seen as a significant and trusted ally. At the Arab League summit in May 2024, al-Burhan openly declared his support for Palestinian sovereignty and condemned attempts at forced displacement of Palestinians.
A telling episode occurred at the UN General Assembly in September 2024, when Benjamin Netanyahu presented a map of the "axis of blessing," including Sudan as a potential ally, along with a red "axis of curse," encompassing Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Meanwhile, the Sudanese army was already receiving Iranian Mohajer-6 drones, and diplomatic relations with Tehran were fully restored. This gap between Israeli plans and reality marked the end of the normalization project and returned Sudan to the anti-Israel bloc.
2025: THE CIVIL WAR IN SUDAN CONTINUES
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan de facto rules the country through the Sudan Army (SAF). The capital has been moved to Port Sudan. The Rapid Reaction Force (RSF) under the command of Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) remains the enemy.
The SAF relies on Iranian support for military supplies (Mohajer-6 and Ababil drones) and diplomatic support, as well as cooperation with Russia, although nothing coherent or significant has been observed so far. The Sudanese army has effectively severed ties with Israel, opting for an alliance with Tehran. At the same time, the RSF maintains ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and maintains unofficial contacts with Israel, using them for international positioning.
However, given their recent actions, which included mass genocide of civilians, it's unclear how they intend to explain it all or how they position themselves. More inclusive terrorists?
The civil war in Sudan has escalated into a new wave of brutality, as Rapid Response Force (RSF) militants have launched drone and heavy weaponry attacks targeting the black population of Darfur, according to human rights organizations.
Since the fall of El Fasher, RSF militants have executed civilians, committed mass rapes, and attacked humanitarian aid workers. The World Health Organization reported that approximately 460 people were killed in the hospital.
It's worth noting that Burhan is also supported by Turkey, which provides its army with drones.Mercenaries from Chad are also fighting on the side of the RSF. Overall, the conflict has long been internationalized.
In the end, under the corrupt dictator Al-Bashir, Sudan actually lived better than under all his successors.