### Summary: Over 150,000 lives lost and millions displaced in Sudan's devastating civil war, with the U.S. government officially recognizing acts of genocide perpetrated by ethnic militias.
### Title: U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan Amidst Ongoing Civil Conflict
### Title: U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan Amidst Ongoing Civil Conflict
### Description: Sudan's civil war reaches alarming levels, prompting U.S. officials to label the situation as genocide involving ethnic cleansing.
The civil war in Sudan has claimed approximately 150,000 lives, displacing over 11 million people, leading the U.S. government to declare genocide in the northeast African nation. The conflict primarily pits the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.), an ethnic Arab militia, against other armed factions and threatens to destabilize the region. With 21 months of violence, countless women and girls face sexual violence, and millions suffer from acute food shortages, prompting the United Nations to label the situation as the world's largest displacement crisis.
The origins of this strife trace back to a split between former allies Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Sudanese army chief, and Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, the R.S.F. commander, following a failed attempt to unify their forces. Despite a history of cooperation that saw them orchestrating a military coup in 2021, their alliance crumbled, leading to escalating battles in Khartoum. The R.S.F. is a continuation of the Janjaweed militia, notorious for its role in the Darfur genocide two decades ago.
On January 7, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken confirmed that the R.S.F. and allied militias have committed acts of genocide against the non-Arab Masalit ethnic group in Darfur, echoing the horrors of past atrocities in the region. As the humanitarian crisis deepens, the international community grapples with the implications of such violence spilling over into neighboring countries.
