MansA, in partnership with the Arab World Institute, is launching its Hors-champ series with an evening of analysis devoted to the war in Sudan. Since April 2023, the country has been plunged into a destructive conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of victims and caused what the UN describes as the most serious humanitarian crisis currently underway.
On October 26, paramilitaries from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, after an 18-month siege. The fall of the city is part of a fratricidal war that has been raging since April 2023 between two men vying for power in Sudan: Abdel Fattah Al-Burhane, head of the regular army, and Mohamed Hamdan Dogolo, known as Hemedti, leader of the RSF.
After more than 1,000 days of fighting, the conflict has claimed 200,000 lives and displaced 14 million people. According to the United Nations, Sudan is currently experiencing the world's most serious humanitarian crisis. Massacres of civilians, famine, looting, and the collapse of public services are now part of everyday life for Sudanese people.
What historical events precipitated the country into chaos? What are the stakes and interests of the main protagonists in the conflict? How do ethnic divisions contribute to fueling this war? And what role do international powers—the United States, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt—play in it?
Speakers
Houda Ibrahim, journalist and international correspondent. For the past ten years, she has been working for RFI's Africa service, covering African-Arab countries, particularly Sudan and Libya. She also covers cultural topics related to Africa, especially cinema.
Hamad Gamal, founder of Sudfa Media, a Franco-Sudanese media outlet dedicated to analyzing and disseminating information on the political, social, and cultural realities of Sudan. Born in El-Fasher, in the Darfur region, he moved to France in 2016. In 2025, he co-directed the documentary film Jusqu'au bout (To the End) with Sarah Bachellerie, which traces the history and struggles of the Sudanese student movement.
Moderator
Eliott Brachet, freelance journalist. Based in Khartoum in 2020 as a correspondent for Le Monde newspaper and RFI, he covered the failed political transition in Sudan after the fall of Omar Al-Bashir. He has continued to visit the country regularly since the outbreak of war in April 2023.
