Radio War Nerd EP 601 — Sudan Civil War Enters 4th Year, feat. Joshua Craze

In this episode of War Nerd Radio, co-hosts Mark Ames and John Dolan welcome back expert Joshua Craze to discuss the Sudanese Civil War, now entering its fourth year. The conflict, initially a power struggle between Sudan's two main military factions—the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdul Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Hemeti—has evolved into a deeply entrenched, multi-layered war with regional and global implications. Craze details how the RSF, after being pushed out of Khartoum in 2024, regained momentum through Emirati military support, including drones, anti-aircraft systems, and Colombian mercenaries, culminating in the brutal capture of Al-Fashir in Darfur. This victory was marked by mass atrocities, including the massacre of 460 people at a maternity hospital. The war has since stabilized into two main fronts: the Kordofan region and Blue Nile, with the RSF expanding its control through a network of militias and gold trade, while the SAF relies on foreign backing from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Iran. Despite the humanitarian catastrophe and the collapse of grassroots movements like the resistance committees, no viable path to peace appears imminent. Craze argues that the war is sustained not by ideology but by a war economy fueled by external powers—particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia—whose geopolitical rivalry ensures continued conflict. The episode ends on a note of profound pessimism, with no clear exit strategy and the country fractured beyond easy reconstruction.