Australia, explained.
The aftermath of a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on 6 May 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)
Brutal conflict has created world’s worst humanitarian disaster, with spillover effects for the Australian diaspora.
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Why Australia should pay attention to Sudan’s deepening crisisWhy Australia should pay attention to Sudan’s deepening crisis
Sudan is the world's forgotten war.
With over 50,000 Sudanese-born residents and more than 130,000 people of Sudanese ancestry living in Australia – many concentrated in cities including Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth – the brutal conflict unfolding in Sudan is not a distant tragedy. It is a lived reality for thousands of Australians with loved ones caught in the crossfire. Yet the crisis remains largely invisible in our national discourse.
This moment is also a critical test of the values we claim to uphold – international justice, humanitarian response, and support for democratic transitions. Australia’s diplomatic and aid apparatus can still play a vital role: backing ceasefire efforts, championing human rights mechanisms, and ensuring that civilian protection remains a priority. Ignoring Sudan would mean overlooking the profound cost of inaction – both human and strategic.
Since war broke out in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country has plunged into one of the gravest humanitarian catastrophes in the world. More than 150,000 people have been killed, more than 13 million displaced, and an estimated 25 million now face acute food insecurity.
Far from being a purely domestic conflict, Sudan’s war has become a theatre for regional power plays.
The grim reality is that both sides are responsible for immense civilian suffering. Their self-declared moral high grounds serve as veils for a ruthless power struggle, one shaped not only by domestic ambition, but also by regional interference and a legacy of ideological manipulation. The Sudanese army casts itself as the custodian of national sovereignty and constitutional order. The RSF, meanwhile, portrays itself as a revolutionary force seeking justice and reform. But both factions have committed grave human rights violations.
The RSF has been widely accused of massacres and mass sexual assaults, particularly against the Masalit ethnic group in Darfur, atrocities that led the United States to classify its actions as genocide. The SAF, for its part, has engaged in indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, arbitrary arrests, and widespread torture. Reports from international human rights groups paint a harrowing picture of impunity and devastation on both sides, with Sudanese civilians paying the highest price.
Far from being a purely domestic conflict, Sudan’s war has become a theatre for regional power plays. The United Arab Emirates stands accused of providing arms and financial support to the RSF, prompting Sudan’s transitional authorities to file a case before the International Court of Justice, alleging complicity in acts of genocide.
Conversely, Egypt has thrown its weight behind the SAF, citing concerns over border stability and long-standing strategic interests in Nile water security. This tug-of-war between regional actors not only fuels the conflict but also undermines any genuine path toward a negotiated peace.
Following the fall of Omar al-Bashir’s regime in 2019, many Sudanese believed that the influence of the Islamist movement had waned. However, the current war has breathed new life into those networks. Deeply embedded within the SAF, Sudan’s Islamists have re-emerged through paramilitary units such as the Al-Baraa ibn Malik Battalion, accused in recent months of war crimes. Their resurgence reflects a strategic attempt to restore their political and military foothold by exploiting the chaos of war. It is a deeply troubling development, one that threatens to pull Sudan further into ideological extremism and deepen internal divisions.
The humanitarian consequences of the war are catastrophic. More than 13 million people have been displaced, many fleeing with nothing. Vast regions are now on the brink of famine, and essential services have all but collapsed in many areas. Although more than 150,000 deaths have been recorded, the real number is likely much higher due to the challenges of monitoring in conflict zones.
International organisations describe the situation as one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world today. Schools, hospitals, and infrastructure have been decimated. Disease outbreaks continue to spread rapidly across overcrowded refugee camps and bombed-out towns.
Australia, as a country committed to global peace and stability, must not turn away. Sudan’s collapse will reverberate far beyond the region – and affect our own communities. A targeted and principled response is both a moral obligation and a strategic imperative.
About the author
Abdullah Ali
Abdullah Ali is a Sudanese-Australian writer and civil engineer based in Sydney.
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