What would prolonged war mean for Sudan?

Rhetoric surrounding Sudan’s ongoing war has escalated with Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti,” recently announcing that his soldiers were prepared to keep fighting “until 2040 if necessary.” His remarks came days after his rival and Sudan’s army chief and Transitional Sovereign Council head, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, vowed to keep fighting until Sudan was “cleansed” of the RSF and estimated the war could last until 2033. Recommended Stories list of 1 item end of list Both sides increasingly appear to view the war as a long-term struggle for survival and control of Sudan, the consequences of which would be devastating. UNDP Sudan Representative Luca Renda cautioned that “the longer the war continues, the greater the misery,” describing the conflict as “the economics of suffering”. According to a joint report last month by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Institute for Security Studies, more than 150,000 people have been killed since fighting began in 2023. Nearly 15 million people have been displaced , up to 24 million face food shortages and at least 19 million lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The report warns that Sudan’s state institutions are on the verge of total collapse, with governance paralysed, healthcare and education systems shattered, markets destroyed, and production in agriculture, manufacturing and services severely weakened. …