There is an invisible line separating Sudan and South Sudan, so blurred that there seems to be no separation at all. This single line, however, is seen through many aspects–from politically, culturally, to religiously. The intense animosity between the two has now given rise to inhumane genocide, a war crime violating international laws.

 The war cannot be understood without understanding the history of Sudan and South Sudan. From 1899 to 1956, Egypt and Britain jointly governed Sudan, but as geopolitical landscapes changed, they granted Sudan independence in 1956. Shortly after, a 17-year-long civil war broke out in Sudan, with South Sudan fighting for independence. Religious tensions between the Muslim north and the Christian south drove the fight, which were exacerbated after Sudan officially became an Islamic state in 1983. 

 On July 9, 2011, South Sudan seceded from Sudan and was recognized as an independent country. In 2013, the president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, fired his cabinet and started a war with his deputy, Riek Machar, whom he suspected of launching a coup d’etat against his presidency. Since then, there have been attempts at reconciliation between the President and Vice President, but all have ended in death and disputes. According to Concern Worldwide U.S., with “more than 70% of the country’s population requiring humanitarian assistance…, over 7 million South Sudanese [facing] some form of food insecurity, it is unsurprising that the death toll is one of the highest among modern conflicts.” Within the South Sudan population, “Christians make up 60.5 percent of the population; followers of indigenous (animist) religions, 32.9 percent; and Muslims, 6.2 percent” (2022 Report). With Sudan recognized as an Islamic state, tensions between the two only heighten due to South Sudan’s predominantly Christian population. General Ibrahim Abboud’s time as head of state (1958-1964) was one of the first to begin new government policies that enforced Islamic education while discriminating against Christianity. Since then, religious conflicts, especially in the south, have been major contributors to the war.

 However, religion is merely one of the factors causing bloodshed. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Lieutenant Abdel Fattah al-Burham, and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, are at odds. The RSF, in a power struggle, is opposed by the SAF, and both Riek Machar and Salva Kiir are unable to address it directly, especially given the involvement of outside countries in the dispute. While RSF has the support of Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), SAF receives aid from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Iran (Salih). With historical ties to neighboring countries, Sudan and South Sudan host abundant natural resources and, with oil as their most profitable export, are powerful allies. 

 So, how does a country with a hundred thousand casualties seem to be in the shadows? Although we are in the twenty-first century, this war is more closely related to a religious and power-hungry dispute.

Sources:

AJLabs. “Tracking Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis: By the Numbers.” ALJAZEERA, 15 Dec. 2025, www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/15/tracking-sudans-humanitarian-crisis-by-the-numbers. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.

Booty, Natasha, et al. “A Simple Guide to What Is Happening in Sudan.” BBC, 13 Nov. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjel2nn22z9o. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

The Center of Preventive Action. “Instability in South Sudan.” Global Conflict Tracker, 21 Mar. 2025, www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/civil-war-south-sudan. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

“A Country Divided.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/sudan/a-country-divided. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

Feltman, Jeffrey. “Sudan’s Deadly Divide: The RSF and ASF’s Reign of Terror.” Brookings, 12 Nov. 2025, www.brookings.edu/articles/sudans-deadly-divide-the-rsf-and-safs-reign-of-terror/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.

Salih, Zeinab Mohammad. “Conflict in Sudan: A Map of Regional and International Actors.” Wilson Center, 19 Dec. 2024, www.wilsoncenter.org/article/conflict-sudan-map-regional-and-international-actors. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.

“South Sudan.” Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, 14 Nov. 2025, www.globalr2p.org/countries/south-sudan/. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

“South Sudan.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Nov. 2024, www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/south-sudan/case-study. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

“South Sudan: How a Rivalry Sparked a Political Crisis.” YouTube, uploaded by BBC News Africa, 5 Dec. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wMJeky8fPM. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

“Timeline: South Sudan’s History at a Glance.” Concern Worldwide U.S., 10 Jan. 2025, concernusa.org/news/timeline-south-sudan-history/. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

Tounsel, Christopher. “Religious Elements of the Sudanese Civil War.” Canopy Forum, 4 Apr. 2025, canopyforum.org/2025/04/04/religious-elements-of-the-sudanese-civil-war/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.

“2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: South Sudan.” U.S. Department of State, www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/south-sudan. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.