logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
14m 10s

Breaking Down The Conflict in Sudan

NPR
About this episode
Sudan's month-long conflict has been a story of broken ceasefires, constant clashes, mass displacement and an exodus of refugees.

Now, a conflict that started in the capital has spread across the country. At the center of this conflict is a bitter rivalry between two generals. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the country's military, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sudan is Africa's third largest country, it shares a border with seven other countries in an already volatile region. The longer the conflict drags on, the greater the risk that it could erupt into a civil war - and the greater the danger that the conflict could spill over into surrounding countries.

NPR's Asma Khalid speaks with Africa correspondent Emanuel Akinwotu, Middle East correspondent Aya Batrawy, and Michele Kelemen who covers the U.S. State Department.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
Trump makes moves to reward loyalty to him and his agenda post-midterms
Stephen Miller’s appointment as White House chief of staff indicates the president is standing firmly by his agenda. Kevin Roberts, the president of the conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, talks about what the Trump administration’s policies could look like after th ... Show More
11m 9s
Apr 2026
What can Montgomery Alabama teach Americans about Civil Rights?
The landscape of Montgomery, Alabama is a monument to Civil Rights, but is America losing touch with the lessons of that movement?Montgomery, Alabama was the setting for much of the battle for Civil Rights. As the country celebrates its 250 anniversary, NPR’s Debbie Elliot went t ... Show More
9m 52s
Nov 6
What’s going on with the stock market?
The AI boom has been a major boost to the stock market. But investors seem concerned that the blue wave of the midterm elections will bring increased scrutiny of data centers and the AI they support. How should we think about what's going on in the stock market?This episode was p ... Show More
9m 13s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
Sudan Shattered: Rival generals unleash violence on Khartoum
The past few weeks in Sudan have been exceptionally violent. Two feuding generals, in charge of the biggest armed groups in the country, have launched their own personal war in Sudan. Nearly 500 people have died, and thousands have been forced to flee. The culprits are Abdel Fatt ... Show More
20m 30s
Jul 2023
Sudan power struggle risks turning into civil war
<p>The Sudanese people are being held hostage by warring generals in a power struggle that has already lasted 100 days. With no solution in sight, the fighting risks drawing in outside actors like Russia’s Wagner group and destabilising neighbouring countries. David Pilling, the ... Show More
23m 23s
Jul 2023
A Long War Looming in Sudan
<p>Almost three months into the war in Sudan that has pitted the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against the Sudanese Army, the fighting shows no sign of slowing. Khartoum remains the epicentre, but Sudan’s periphery, especially the West Darfur region, has seen a dramatic ... Show More
47m 45s
Apr 2023
How Two Generals Led Sudan to the Brink of Civil War
<p>Sudan was supposed to be moving away from military rule and toward democracy. But over the past week, the country has been thrown into violent chaos as two factions battle for control.</p><p>Declan Walsh, chief Africa correspondent for The Times, explains how an explosive riva ... Show More
22m 34s
Apr 2025
Sudan: What’s changed after two years of war?
The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, April 15th 2023. Families who’d gathered to celebrate Eid together woke up to gunfire and explosions as a power struggle erupted between two factions of the military led government. There were clashes at the presidential palace, at the airport and ... Show More
17m 6s
Oct 2023
After Six Months of War, Sudan is Disintegrating
In this episode of The Horn, Alan talks to Dr Suliman Baldo, Executive Director of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker, about the dire state of Sudan six months into the war between Sudan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and whether Sudan has a ... Show More
42m 48s
Apr 2023
Bonus Episode: War in Sudan
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Ethiopia from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire!.Two rival armies are driving Sudan toward full-blown civil war. Fighting between the Sudanese armed forces, led by Abdelfattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a ... Show More
52m 51s
Apr 2024
What impact is Sudan’s war having on neighbouring countries?
Yesterday, Africa Daily heard from two Sudanese men about how a year of war has forever changed their lives. But the impact is also being felt beyond Sudan’s borders: South Sudan’s oil industry – its main income generator – has been heavily impacted because routes to the coast fo ... Show More
19m 33s