Front Burner (CBC)

Episode: What’s Fueling the War in Sudan?

Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Elaine Chao (in for Jayme Poisson)
Guest: Dalia Abdelmunaim, Sudanese Political Analyst

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode provides an in-depth analysis of the ongoing war in Sudan, focusing particularly on the recent atrocities in the city of El Fasher. It explores the roots of the conflict, the humanitarian catastrophe it has produced, and the complex web of internal divisions and foreign influences sustaining the violence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Humanitarian Crisis in El Fasher and Sudan

• Backdrop:

  • Civil war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
  • Over 150,000 people killed, 12 million displaced. The U.N. has called it the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe.
    (00:39–01:40)

• El Fasher Under Siege:

  • RSF recently took control of El Fasher, the last major city in Darfur not under their power.
  • Hundreds of thousands trapped; satellite imagery shows evidence of mass killings.
  • Reports of hospitals attacked, civilians targeted, and mass graves.
    (01:45–04:45)
  • Dalia: “There’s still around 170,000 people trapped inside Al Fasher and no one knows their fate… the RSF is hell bent on turning Al Fasher—if they haven’t turned it already—into a killing field.” (04:45)

• Famine & Displacement:

  • Famine declared—25 million Sudanese facing acute hunger.
  • People fleeing to overcrowded towns like Al Tawila, which is also under threat and under-resourced.
  • NGOs unable to deliver aid due to attacks and lack of guarantees for safety.
    (10:09–12:00)

2. Atrocities, Ethnic Cleansing, and Documentation

• Ethnic Targeting:

  • Non-Arab tribes are being specifically targeted—a continuation of brutality reminiscent of the early 2000s Darfur conflict.
  • RSF descended from the Janjaweed militias responsible for prior genocide.
    (07:30–08:45)
  • Dalia: “There’s an element of racism and ethnic superiority that is behind all these killings… it’s a continuation of what they did 20 years ago in the first Darfur war.” (07:30)

• Social Media as Evidence:

  • RSF fighters openly post videos showing atrocities as a form of propaganda and intimidation.
  • Dalia: “They boast about their killings … run live streams of what their next agenda is… one of the generals is telling his troops, ‘kill everyone, leave no one alive.’ It’s chilling to see.” (07:30)

• Personal Testimonies:

  • Gruesome firsthand accounts: civilians run over by vehicles, mass executions, entire families executed.
  • Dalia reflects on the collective trauma: “There’s no words to describe how horrible, how much of a nightmare it is for us Sudanese to see this and at the same time not be able to do much.” (09:20)

3. Historical and Political Context

• From Alliance to Civil War:

  • RSF and Sudanese military (SAF) previously united to overthrow the long-ruling dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
  • Following a brief experiment with civilian government, the two factions turned on each other, vying for absolute power after a failed transition and coup.
    (14:19–16:10)
  • Dalia: “From being brothers in arms, they became bitter enemies immediately.... no entity within the international community has shown any initiative to actually step in and somehow bring an end to this war.” (16:00)

• Why “Civil War” is Incomplete:

  • Dalia: “By normal definition … this is a civil war, but there are so many other factors … I don’t think there’s a phrase to actually explain or describe it. Yeah, it’s just. It’s a mess.” (15:07)
  • The conflict is complicated by the multitude of armed groups, tribal allegiances, and external actors.

4. Foreign Involvement & The Proxy War

• UAE’s Role:

  • United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been heavily arming the RSF, motivated by anti-Islamist ideology, resource interests (gold, minerals, agricultural land), and regional power ambitions.
  • Sudanese gold is smuggled into the UAE, bolstering Emirati wealth while leaving Sudanese people bereft.
    (19:21–22:07)
  • Dalia: “Sudan is one of the richest countries when it comes to natural resources... our gold is being smuggled via the UAE, where it’s being sold as Emirati gold. Emirates does not have any gold mines. Sudan does.” (21:24)

• Other Foreign Powers:

  • The Sudanese army (SAF) backed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and Iran—but their support is not as significant or effective as the UAE’s for the RSF.
    (22:07–22:58)

5. What the World Can Do

• International Inaction & Responsibility:

  • Calls for the international community to pressure key players—especially the UAE, which has strong ties with the U.S., U.K., and other Western countries.
  • Recent reports link Canadian and British companies to supplying materials that end up in the RSF’s hands through indirect trade with the UAE.

• Need for Accountability and Attention:

  • Dalia: “There’s been an arms embargo in Darfur since the 2000s. Why is that not implemented?... These small things, when you add them up, they do build… a snowball. It starts small and then it builds… but what needs to be done is that: accountability.” (25:10–26:30)

• Media & Activism:

  • Increased global attention is causing grassroots pressure, such as boycotts and campaigns, but Dalia emphasizes the need for sustained political will and action.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the siege of Al Fasher:

  • Dalia: “The RSF… is hell bent on turning Al Fashir, if they haven’t turned it already, into a killing field.” (04:45)

• On witnessing evidence of atrocity:

  • Dalia: “The violence is unforgiving and brutal… Video verified by Reuters shows bodies in ditches after mass killings.” (06:41–06:58)

• On loss and helplessness:

  • Dalia: “There’s no words to describe how horrible, how much of a nightmare it is for us Sudanese to see this and at the same time not be able to do much.” (09:20)

• On foreign intervention:

  • Dalia: “Emirates does not have any gold mines. Sudan does. And so the UAE is building its economy off of our backs, on our expense and us Sudanese, we haven’t seen anything because nothing trickles down to the people or to the country. It stays in the UAE.” (21:24)

• On hope for change:

  • Dalia: “All of these small things, when you add them up, they do build like a snowball.… But what needs to be done is that accountability.” (26:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:39–02:26 — Introduction: war background, introductory stats, and guest welcome
• 02:39–04:14 — Dalia’s personal story of flight from Sudan
• 04:45–08:45 — El Fasher atrocities, evidence, social media, and historic context
• 10:09–12:12 — Humanitarian crisis, famine, displacement, aid-blocking
• 14:19–18:37 — Historical and political context: fall of Bashir, failed transitions, rise of the civil war
• 19:21–22:07 — The UAE’s role, resource motivations, gold smuggling
• 22:07–22:58 — Other international backers and comparative support
• 23:34–26:56 — Western complicity, the need for accountability, civil activism, and final analysis

Conclusion

This episode draws a harrowing portrait of the war in Sudan, underscoring the devastating human impact, exposing the foreign interests sustaining the violence, and urging greater accountability from global actors. Dalia Abdelmunaim’s firsthand perspective and analytical clarity shed urgent light on a crisis the world cannot afford to ignore.