Two years into Sudan’s catastrophic war, a glimmer of hope is emerging as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) make significant advances. Recent weeks have seen the SAF reclaim substantial territory in the states of Sennar and Al Jazira, drawing closer to the capital of Khartoum, where it broke the siege of its headquarters. The liberation of Wad Madani, Gezira’s capital, from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has sparked widespread celebrations among Sudanese citizens, rekindling hopes of returning home after years of displacement and suffering.
While international observers attribute these advances to regional support—with Egypt, Qatar, and Iran backing the SAF while the United Arab Emirates and Chad support the RSF—a critical yet underexplored dynamic is at play: the mobilization of young Sudanese democratic activists who were once vocal critics of the military. Some of these activists have taken up arms against the RSF, seeing the militia as the greater threat to Sudan’s sovereignty and future.
Two years into Sudan’s catastrophic war, a glimmer of hope is emerging as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) make significant advances. Recent weeks have seen the SAF reclaim substantial territory in the states of Sennar and Al Jazira, drawing closer to the capital of Khartoum, where it broke the siege of its headquarters. The liberation of Wad Madani, Gezira’s capital, from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has sparked widespread celebrations among Sudanese citizens, rekindling hopes of returning home after years of displacement and suffering.
While international observers attribute these advances to regional support—with Egypt, Qatar, and Iran backing the SAF while the United Arab Emirates and Chad support the RSF—a critical yet underexplored dynamic is at play: the mobilization of young Sudanese democratic activists who were once vocal critics of the military. Some of these activists have taken up arms against the RSF, seeing the militia as the greater threat to Sudan’s sovereignty and future.
The international community, led by the United States, has portrayed the conflict as a struggle between two equally culpable factions. However, this narrative is increasingly untenable. The recent determination by former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration that the RSF has committed acts of genocide, coupled with sanctions imposed on SAF leaders, including Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, fails to capture the complex realities on the ground.
In fact, the Biden administration’s sanctions against Burhan might have the unintended consequence of securing his hold on power. Meanwhile, Burhan’s popularity is increasing among the Sudanese people as the army continues to gain ground against the RSF. For these young activists, the SAF represents Sudan’s legitimate—if imperfect—state institutions, while the RSF is viewed as a foreign-backed militia responsible for heinous crimes, including looting, murder, and systemic violence.
Many of the activists now joining the Sudanese army are members of grassroots organizations like the Resistance Committees. Since 2019, these committees have protested against military rule, rejecting any form of power-sharing with the army. Groups like Ghadiboun have been particularly vocal in opposing negotiations with both the military and the RSF. However, the outbreak of war in April 2023 forced a reassessment of priorities. Confronted with the existential threat posed by the RSF, many of these groups have largely aligned with the SAF, emphasizing the preservation of state institutions as a prerequisite for any future democratic transition.
In the war’s early stages, the SAF established voluntary recruitment and training centers across Sudan to address its manpower shortage. Having relied on the RSF as its infantry corps prior to the conflict, the SAF faced a critical gap after the RSF’s rebellion. Young revolutionary groups, once staunch critics of the SAF, stepped in to fill this void. During the first three months of the conflict, debates emerged between those who viewed the war as an attempt to destroy the state and those who saw no benefit in it. However, the majority ultimately sided with the military when the RSF began openly targeting civilians and ethnic minorities.
During a visit to Port Sudan in November 2024, I met some of these young volunteers, known locally as the mustanafareen. Their stories illustrate the profound shift in grassroots activism and the complexities of the current conflict.
Basil Abdelhamid, an electrical engineer and former member of the Kalakla neighborhood Resistance Committee, exemplifies this transformation. In 2019, Abdelhamid dreamed of a Sudan founded on justice, equality, and opportunity. He was deeply involved in grassroots initiatives, protesting both the military and civilian political parties when they failed to deliver on the revolution’s promises. However, the outbreak of war and the RSF’s brutality forced a change in perspective.
After the RSF invaded his home, terrorizing his family and demanding fuel, he decided to volunteer with the SAF’s armored corps. For him, the RSF’s rebellion represented an assault on Sudan’s sovereignty, compelling him to act.
Similarly, Mohamed Ibrahim Fadul, a physical sciences graduate, joined the SAF despite his Islamist political leanings and prior opposition to military rule. Arrested during protests against the power-sharing agreement that sidelined Islamists, Fadul saw the RSF as the greater threat to Sudan’s stability. Political differences notwithstanding, both men found common ground in their commitment to defending Sudan against the rebels.
Hassan Abdelrahman, known as Timo and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in financial accounting, witnessed the atrocities committed by militias in western Sudan. His activism is rooted in the revolution’s call for justice and systemic change. When war broke out, he aligned with the SAF, viewing it as the legitimate defender of Sudan’s sovereignty. He sees the SAF’s diverse composition as a symbol of national unity, standing in stark contrast to the RSF’s militia rule and foreign backing.
These young volunteers emphasize that their participation in the conflict is not motivated by political gain but by a desire to protect Sudan’s state institutions and defeat the RSF. They remain committed to returning to civilian life and continuing the fight for democracy once the immediate threat is neutralized.
And it is not only male activists. Women were a central force in the pro-democracy protests, and many are now backing the SAF even if they are not taking up arms. Julia Saleem, a graduate of the Sudan University of Science and Technology, has been an advocate for radical change and democracy in Sudan.
During the revolution, she backed civilian forces striving to dismantle military rule. However, after the revolution, she lost trust in political parties and groups that aligned with the coup government and continued to support efforts against Burhan’s coup to restore democracy. Her political vision is rooted in a charter signed by more than 50 pro-democracy groups.
Since civil war broke out, Saleem has supported the army. Motivated by a commitment to preserving the state, she emphasized that national unity requires prioritizing citizenship over religion, ethnicity, and political affiliations. She views the war as an opportunity to build a unified, equal nation and noted differing perspectives within the Resistance Committees: one group sees the war as a loss for all, while the majority actively supports the army.
The international community’s framing of the conflict as a power struggle between two generals overlooks the agency and aspirations of these young activists. For them, this war is not merely about territorial control; it is a battle for Sudan’s very existence. Their stories challenge reductive narratives and underscore the importance of understanding the grassroots dynamics shaping Sudan’s future.
For instance, the Ghadiboun resistance group, originally formed to oppose military rule, criticized the regional and international positions that overlooked state institutions facing an unprecedented rebellion by a terrorist militia. In an online statement, it even called on the United States to designate the RSF as a terrorist organization.
The actions of young Sudanese activists demonstrate an undeniable reality: Democracy in Sudan cannot flourish without the establishment of robust state institutions. The Trump administration in the United States must decisively move away from the previous administration’s passive approach, which treated conflicting parties as equally problematic and ignored the voices of Sudanese citizens on the ground, who continue to stand by their state institutions.
History has shown that when national armies collapse, as in Libya and Yemen, chaos and prolonged instability often follow. By embracing and championing the bold vision of these dynamic young activists, Sudan could forge a decisive path toward a truly democratic Sudan, ultimately fostering lasting peace and prosperity for the entire country.
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