From October Coup to April War, Sudan’s Crisis Deepens

Sudan faces a sweeping breakdown in security, politics, the economy and social life, five years after army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s coup against the civilian authorities and more than 42 months after war erupted in April 2023.

The civilian administration had emerged following the overthrow of Islamist rule in April 2019. Its removal in the October coup marked a decisive rupture in the country’s attempted transition away from that system.

The outbreak of war deepened the crisis, pushing Sudan beyond a struggle over political authority into a prolonged conflict. The continuing violence has left the country confronting overlapping pressures rather than a single emergency.

Political breakdown and deteriorating security have been accompanied by worsening economic and social conditions. Together, those crises have made the consequences of the conflict extend far beyond the battlefield.

The trajectory from the October coup to the April war underscores the scale of Sudan’s collapse. Restoring stability now means addressing not only the fighting, but also the fractured political order and the damage to economic and social life.