Husam Mahjoub, the co-founder of Sudan Bukra, an independent non-profit news organisation, unpacks the ongoing crisis in Sudan, which has seen a relentless civil war since April 2023. In a conversation with Sharjeel Usmani, Mahjoub discusses how the media fails to capture the complexity of the war, noting that is not just a conflict between two generals, but in fact, “many wars within one war.” This includes the war between the generals, the war against the revolution and the Sudanese people, and the war between foreign powers for Sudan’s resources.

The conversation discusses in detail all three wars: the warring factions of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, and the need for accountability; the Sudanese people’s resistance and revolution; and geopolitical interests behind the crisis, including the US sanctions and the UAE’s ambitions. The UAE’s interest in Africa and Sudan, he explains, is that it wants economic hegemony by controlling resources and land; it wants political influence by being a kingmaker and changing regimes; and it wants to prevent any democratic transformation in the region, in fear of what it could inspire domestically.

In this context, Mahjoub reflects on the staggering scale of the crisis, and the inadequacy of the international response. “There are more than 750,000 people on the brink of famine, and there are no accurate—or even close to accurate—numbers about the victims,” he said. Even before Donald Trump’s recent decision to suspend all aid to the country, Mahjoub says, the humanitarian response was “in no way even close to covering the needs of the Sudanese people.”