Flash Points
Themed journeys through our archive.

Where the U.S. Went Wrong in Sudan

Khartoum now faces civil war. What does the U.S. have to do with it?

An activist holds a sign depicting rival generals, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo, during a demonstration in front of the White House in Washington on April 29, 2023.
An activist holds a sign depicting rival generals, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagalo, during a demonstration in front of the White House in Washington on April 29, 2023.
Activists demonstrate in front of the White House in Washington on April 29, calling on the United States to intervene to stop the fighting in Sudan. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images

In mid-2019, after the ouster of Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir, political analysts hoped that Washington might be able to help Sudan chart a path to democracy. That hope was short-lived. In late 2021, Sudan’s generals staged a coup, and after 18 months of controversial U.S. policies attempting to revive the country’s democratic transition, armed conflict erupted again in Khartoum last month.

In mid-2019, after the ouster of Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir, political analysts hoped that Washington might be able to help Sudan chart a path to democracy. That hope was short-lived. In late 2021, Sudan’s generals staged a coup, and after 18 months of controversial U.S. policies attempting to revive the country’s democratic transition, armed conflict erupted again in Khartoum last month.

“Maybe we couldn’t have prevented a conflict,” one U.S. official told FP’s Robbie Gramer. “But it’s like we didn’t even try and beyond that just emboldened [the warring generals] by making repeated empty threats and never following through.”

Today we’re featuring our best reporting and essays on how Sudan got here—and the role that the United States, and other Western powers, have played in what many fear will become a full-blown civil war.—Chloe Hadavas


A photo collage illustration shows the two warring generals at the center of Sudan's unrest alongside images of U.S. President Joe Biden and the seal of the state department for a story about U.S. diplomacy in Sudan.
A photo collage illustration shows the two warring generals at the center of Sudan's unrest alongside images of U.S. President Joe Biden and the seal of the state department for a story about U.S. diplomacy in Sudan.

Foreign Policy illustration/Getty Images

How the U.S. Fumbled Sudan’s Hopes for Democracy

The East African country, once a beacon for change, now faces civil war, FP’s Robbie Gramer writes.


Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (center), the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces and de facto leader of Sudan, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (left), his deputy, attend a ceremony in Khartoum, Sudan, on Dec. 5, 2022.
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (center), the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces and de facto leader of Sudan, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (left), his deputy, attend a ceremony in Khartoum, Sudan, on Dec. 5, 2022.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (center), the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces and de facto leader of Sudan, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (left), his deputy, attend a ceremony in Khartoum, Sudan, on Dec. 5, 2022. Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In Sudan, U.S. Policies Paved the Way for War

A misguided effort to integrate the RSF into the Sudanese Armed Forces led to a tragic but predictable conflict, Justin Lynch writes.


Sudanese protesters wave the national flag during a demonstration calling for civilian rule and demanding justice for those killed in crackdowns in the capital of Khartoum on Jan. 24.
Sudanese protesters wave the national flag during a demonstration calling for civilian rule and demanding justice for those killed in crackdowns in the capital of Khartoum on Jan. 24.

Sudanese protesters wave the national flag during a demonstration calling for civilian rule and demanding justice for those killed in crackdowns in the capital of Khartoum on Jan. 24.Stringer/AFP via Getty Images

America’s Silence on Sudan Is Deafening

Washington has sidelined the country’s long-term interests in favor of short-term gains, Hala al-Karib writes.


A Sudanese man waves his country's flag as he stands in front of a barricaded street during protests in the capital Khartoum to mark the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled the previous government, on Dec. 19, 2020.
A Sudanese man waves his country's flag as he stands in front of a barricaded street during protests in the capital Khartoum to mark the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled the previous government, on Dec. 19, 2020.

A Sudanese man waves his country’s flag as he stands in front of a barricaded street during protests in the capital Khartoum to mark the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled the previous government, on Dec. 19, 2020. ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP via Getty Images

How the U.N. and the West Failed Sudan

Self-delusion and negligence stopped governments and aid agencies from facilitating a genuine and lasting transition to democracy, Justin Lynch writes.


Sudanese protesters block roads and burn tires.
Sudanese protesters block roads and burn tires.

Sudanese protesters block roads and burn tires as they take the streets after political parties called for a general strike and protests following a military takeover of the civilian government in Khartoum, Sudan, on Oct. 26, 2021.Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The Battle for Khartoum Exposes Waning U.S. Influence

If any outside power could help Sudan chart a path to democracy, it should have been the United States, Colum Lynch and FP’s Robbie Gramer write.

Join the Conversation

Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription.

Already a subscriber? .

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now.

Not your account?

Join the Conversation

Please follow our comment guidelines, stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs.

You are commenting as .

More from Foreign Policy

Residents evacuated from Shebekino and other Russian towns near the border with Ukraine are seen in a temporary shelter in Belgorod, Russia, on June 2.
Residents evacuated from Shebekino and other Russian towns near the border with Ukraine are seen in a temporary shelter in Belgorod, Russia, on June 2.

Russians Are Unraveling Before Our Eyes

A wave of fresh humiliations has the Kremlin struggling to control the narrative.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shake hands in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shake hands in Beijing.

A BRICS Currency Could Shake the Dollar’s Dominance

De-dollarization’s moment might finally be here.

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in an episode of The Diplomat
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in an episode of The Diplomat

Is Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ Factual or Farcical?

A former U.S. ambassador, an Iran expert, a Libya expert, and a former U.K. Conservative Party advisor weigh in.

An illustration shows the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted by wavy lines of a fragmented map of Europe and Asia.
An illustration shows the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted by wavy lines of a fragmented map of Europe and Asia.

The Battle for Eurasia

China, Russia, and their autocratic friends are leading another epic clash over the world’s largest landmass.