According to the ICRC, more than 8,000 missing-person cases have been recorded during the war, although the organization said it had resolved over 1,000 cases and declined to specify how many involved people found alive or deceased.

Many of those missing in Khartoum state are believed to be among the thousands of bodies discovered in makeshift graves after the army regained control of the capital from RSF fighters last year. During intense fighting, residents often buried the dead near homes, roadsides and public spaces because access to cemeteries was too dangerous.

Associated Press reporters visiting Khartoum last month observed improvised burial sites in sports fields and other urban areas, with many graves lacking identification markers. A military media representative accompanied the reporting team during the visit.

Khartoum state authorities have relocated nearly 30,000 bodies from an estimated 50,000 hastily dug graves scattered across the region, according to forensic officials. The reburial effort remains ongoing as authorities work to identify the dead.

Hisham Zienalabdien, director general of Khartoum state’s forensic medicine department, said approximately 10% of recovered bodies remain unidentified. Authorities are preserving DNA samples from those remains in hopes that future testing will allow relatives to confirm identities.

Efforts to identify victims have been hampered by extensive wartime destruction. Laboratories that could conduct DNA analysis have been damaged or destroyed, while many forensic specialists have fled the country or are no longer able to work.

The uncertainty has left thousands of families searching for answers. Relatives continue visiting hospitals, morgues, detention centers and military facilities in attempts to locate loved ones who disappeared during military operations, displacement or detention.

Humanitarian organizations say the psychological burden of not knowing whether relatives are alive or dead has compounded the suffering caused by conflict and displacement. The ICRC said families of missing persons face heightened vulnerabilities stemming from ongoing hostilities and prolonged uncertainty.

The war has also complicated traditional burial practices. In many cases, families have been unable to retrieve or properly bury relatives killed during fighting, forcing communities to conduct emergency burials near homes and neighborhoods.

Sudan’s conflict has generated one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with widespread destruction, mass displacement and severe disruptions to public services across large parts of the country.

Dagalo, the brother of RSF commander Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, was identified as playing a key role in sustaining RSF operations, including in El-Fasher, where widespread abuses have been documented during the group’s siege of the city.

A February report by the U.N. Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan detailed what it described as grave violations committed during the assault on El-Fasher, including systematic starvation, torture, killings, rape and deliberate ethnic targeting on a large scale.

In addition to Dagalo, the council imposed sanctions on three Colombian nationals — Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero and Mateo Andres Duque Botero — for their alleged roles in recruiting former Colombian military personnel to fight for the RSF in Sudan.

According to evidence cited by U.N. officials, Colombian recruits provided tactical and technical support to RSF forces and served as infantry fighters, artillery operators, drone specialists, drivers and military trainers. Some were also accused of involvement in training children for combat.

The recruits were reported to have taken part in multiple battles across Sudan, including in the capital Khartoum, Omdurman, Kordofan and El-Fasher.
British Minister of State for Africa Jenny Chapman said the sanctions reflected a broader determination to hold those responsible for abuses accountable.

“We are cracking down on those who facilitate and profit from this conflict,” Chapman said in a statement. “We are determined that all individuals responsible for these atrocities will be held to account.”

She added that Britain, working with allies, would continue efforts to push Sudan’s warring parties toward negotiations, secure humanitarian access and pursue justice for victims.

The 1591 sanctions regime, established in 2005, includes travel bans, asset freezes and arms embargoes against individuals and entities accused of obstructing peace efforts in Sudan’s Darfur region. Diplomats said the latest measures were approved unanimously by all 15 members of the Security Council sanctions committee.

In February, Britain, France and the United States secured sanctions against four RSF commanders linked to atrocities in El-Fasher, signaling growing international concern over the deepening conflict.

Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, a power struggle that has triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, displacing millions and devastating large parts of the country.

The warning is the first Child Alert issued by the United Nations children’s agency for Darfur in 20 years and is used only in the most severe emergencies to draw urgent international attention.“Children are at a breaking point across the region. Childhood is again defined by fear, by loss,” Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, told reporters in Geneva via video link from Port Sudan.“Children are bearing the heaviest weight of the war in Darfur.

Children are being killed and maimed, uprooted from their homes and pushed into extreme hunger, disease and trauma,” he said.Darfur, a vast region in western Sudan, has remained one of the epicenters of the conflict that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The fighting has included ethnically driven killings, widespread displacement and repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, reviving memories of the earlier Darfur conflict that began in 2003 when rebels rose against Sudan’s government and state-backed Arab militias launched a brutal counterinsurgency campaign.

UNICEF said homes, schools and health facilities across the region have been burned, damaged or destroyed, leaving children without access to education, medical care or basic safety.The agency warned that despite the worsening crisis, international attention and funding remain far below what is needed.

Its humanitarian appeal for Sudan this year is only 16% funded.Across Sudan, at least 160 children were reportedly killed and 85 injured in the first three months of 2026, a significant increase compared with the same period last year, UNICEF said.

The most severe impact has been recorded in Al-Fashir, the long-besieged capital of North Darfur, where at least 1,300 children have been killed or maimed since April 2024.UNICEF also reported cases of sexual violence, child abductions and forced recruitment of minors by armed groups in the area.

Acute malnutrition has worsened sharply, with famine-level conditions confirmed in two additional areas of North Darfur in February, according to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that restricted humanitarian access, continued shelling and the collapse of essential services are accelerating the risk of mass starvation, particularly among children and displaced families.

The conflict has displaced millions across Sudan and created one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies, with Darfur once again at the center of the crisis.

In Omdurman’s Al-Nao Educational Hospital, volunteers work as nurses, paramedics and pharmacists, often rushing to bomb sites to help victims.

Community kitchens known as “takkaya” provide free meals to families facing hunger, while local burial teams recover unidentified bodies and conduct funerals during ongoing shelling.

Many of these volunteers emerged from Sudan’s resistance committees, neighborhood groups that once led protests against former president Omar al-Bashir.

Despite reduced donations and constant danger, residents say they continue because basic survival in the war-torn capital depends on them.“We could leave tomorrow, but our country needs us,” one volunteer said.

A new wave of optimism is sweeping across Sudan as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire proposed by the United States and Arab partners.

This development marks an important step toward restoring peace and stability in a nation that has long suffered from conflict and hardship.

The RSF’s acceptance of the ceasefire initiative signals a growing commitment to prioritize humanitarian needs and create a pathway for dialogue.

Their readiness to discuss long-term peace arrangements reflects a positive turn in Sudan’s ongoing efforts to rebuild trust and unity among its people.

The U.S., alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, has been actively working to promote peace in Sudan. The proposed truce aims to allow safe humanitarian access, deliver aid to affected regions, and pave the way for a sustainable political process.

The international community has welcomed the RSF’s statement, viewing it as a step toward ending the two-and-a-half-year conflict.
The United States reaffirmed its dedication to facilitating negotiations that could help both sides find common ground.

“The RSF looks forward to implementing the agreement and beginning discussions on cessation of hostilities and the principles guiding Sudan’s political process,” the group stated. Such language reflects a renewed tone of cooperation and hope, signaling potential progress for the war-torn nation.

The ceasefire plan aligns with growing global calls for peace and stability across Africa. Neighboring countries and humanitarian organizations have expressed support for a coordinated effort to ease the suffering of civilians, especially in famine-stricken areas.

The proposed truce not only promises to reduce violence but also allows for essential aid delivery to displaced families.
Medical organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) continue their tireless efforts to treat victims and provide relief in North Darfur and other regions.

U.S. officials emphasized the urgency of immediate de-escalation to prevent further loss of life and displacement. Their ongoing engagement with both parties reflects the international community’s determination to help Sudan return to peace and stability.

If implemented successfully, this ceasefire could become a foundation for a long-term peace agreement.
Such an achievement would represent a monumental shift for Sudan, offering new opportunities for reconciliation, rebuilding, and development.

Sudanese citizens, weary from years of turmoil, are expressing cautious hope that this truce may finally open a path toward healing.
Community leaders have called on all parties to honor their commitments and protect civilians at all costs.

This agreement demonstrates that diplomacy and humanitarian concern can still prevail even amid deep divisions. By prioritizing peace over conflict, Sudan’s leaders are showing the world that dialogue remains the most powerful tool for change.

International observers view the RSF’s willingness to cooperate as a signal of shifting priorities within Sudan’s leadership. The promise of accountability for past violations and protection of civilians marks a hopeful beginning for a more responsible and transparent approach.

Peace advocates around the world continue to emphasize that lasting stability in Sudan will require unity, patience, and strong international support. With continued cooperation between Sudan, the United States, and Arab nations, the potential for peace grows stronger each day.

This humanitarian ceasefire initiative represents more than a pause in fighting—it symbolizes a chance for renewal. It allows Sudan to look ahead to a future defined by compassion, dialogue, and shared purpose rather than division.

As the world watches closely, this moment may become a turning point in Sudan’s history. Through collaboration and goodwill, the dream of a peaceful and prosperous Sudan feels closer than ever before.

The fighting, broke out in April as the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) vied for power amid a planned transition towards civilian rule, has led to the displacement of more than 3 million people and thrown the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

At least 580 civilians have been killed just in Khartoum, the capital, according to local volunteers, a Reuters tally found.

The video of Hemedti was posted to the paramilitary group’s Facebook page showing him surrounded by cheering members of the RSF, as he apologised to the Sudanese people for the impact of the ongoing conflict.

“We tell our brothers in the armed forces, if you want a quick solution … change your leadership and we’ll come to an agreement in 72 hours.”

Hemedti also warned that Ahmed Haroun, an ex-official under former President Omar Al Bashir who escaped from prison in late April, was leading the security committee in eastern parts of the country where the army is in control. In previous audio messages, Hemedti has accused the army of taking orders from loyalists of the autocrat, who was in power for almost three decades.

Local activists said at least 15 civilians had been killed in the fighting, and more than 80 had been seriously wounded.

Sudan’s army confirmed on Monday that the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had taken the main base of a well-equipped police brigade in Khartoum and there were reports of fighting spreading for the first time to Blue Nile state near Ethiopia.

The RSF said it had captured dozens of armoured vehicles and pickup trucks after seizing the Central Reserve Police headquarters on Sunday, consolidating its position in southern Khartoum where several important military camps are situated.

The army had leant on the Central Reserve Police for ground fighting in Khartoum, where it has struggled to counter mobile RSF units which quickly spread out across the city once fighting erupted on April 15.

The army said in a statement that the Central Reserve police base had been taken after three days of fighting, accusing the RSF of attacking “state institutions.”

Local activists said at least 15 civilians had been killed in the fighting, and more than 80 had been seriously wounded.

Also on Monday, residents on social media reported an attack by the SPLM-N, Sudan’s most powerful rebel group, in the city of Kurmuk in Blue Nile State, on the border with Ethiopia.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. The United Nations mission in Sudan said hundreds of civilians had crossed the border into Ethiopia to seek safety due to clashes in Blue Nile on Sunday and Monday, while others appeared set to head north to Damazin, the state capital.

Clashes linked to tribal tensions in Blue Nile State left hundreds dead last year.

The SPLM-N last week clashed with the army in South Kordofan state, raising fears the conflict could spread across Sudan’s southern regions.

The war between the army and the RSF erupted amid disputes over internationally backed plans for a transition towards elections under a civilian government.

Fighting has intensified through a series of ceasefire deals negotiated by Saudi Arabia and the United States at talks in Jeddah that were suspended last week.

The war has caused a major humanitarian crisis, uprooting more than 2.5 million people, about 600,000 of whom have crossed into neighbouring countries. Most have headed north to Egypt or west into Chad, where refugees have sought shelter from ethnically motivated attacks and clashes in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Some families will spend the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha this week far away from their relatives.

“It’s the first time I spend Eid away from Sudan and alone,” said Safiya Juma Adam, who fled the war to Giza in Egypt with her three children. “If it weren’t for this war, I wouldn’t have left Sudan.”