30 June 2025 | 12:03 CAT
1-minute read

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Dr Abdalla Hamdok’s recent two-day visit to South Africa has provided renewed insight into the catastrophic crisis unfolding in his homeland. Speaking on Radio Islam International’s Debrief Report, analyst Zakiyya Hatia summarised Hamdok’s stark warnings—and urgent calls for action—to prevent further collapse of Sudan.

Hatia emphasised Hamdok’s “pragmatism” and calm leadership, especially during the worsening crisis since April 2023 when fighting surged between Sudan’s regular armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This conflict has ravaged the country, killing thousands, displacing millions, and pushing over 30 million people—nearly two-thirds of the population—into dire humanitarian need.

The scale of the destruction in Sudan is staggering and has affected over 15 million directly through displacement, famine, or disease, Hatia observed.

According to Hatia, Hamdok outlined three critical objectives for peace:

1. Humanitarian relief: “ending the killing of all Sudanese, civilian and military, and making sure there’s access to basic needs like shelter, food, and medicine.”
2. Ceasefire: enforcement via “monitoring mechanisms and humanitarian corridors.”
3. Political resolution: a “credible, comprehensive national dialogue” to formally end the conflict.

Hamdok contends that without all three steps, “peace is a distant hope.”

The situation in the region has reached epic proportions, with over 30 million Sudanese—including 16 million children—in need of urgent aid. Food insecurity has reached famine levels in regions including North Darfur, while health services crumble, with up to 70–80% of facilities non-functional.

Additionally, there are more than 12 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and over 3 million refugees—the largest displacement crisis globally.

Meanwhile, cholera, malaria, dengue, and measles outbreaks are rampant, with the WHO reporting over 135 attacks on healthcare facilities since 2023.

Making matters worse, U.S., European, and other donor funding has declined—some of it frozen—leaving already underfunded operations struggling as the rainy season threatens to intensify the suffering.

The interview also revisited criticism of Hamdok’s 2020 decision to lead a civilian government under military oversight.

Hatia remarked, “His attempt to form a civilian-led government under military oversight was a difficult, controversial decision.”

She noted that while rare and sometimes compared to Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi scenario, the move was made to avert collapse—and “seen with a different sense of wisdom … it might have been a good decision had that gone through in 2020.” However, she warned that “it might just be too late for the country in that aspect.”

Hamdok’s visit spotlights a grave warning: Sudan stands at a crossroads between total collapse and the faint hope of recovery. His holistic framework—humanitarian relief, ceasefire, and inclusive dialogue—is a strategic blueprint urgently needed, yet its success demands swift, coordinated action from both Sudanese factions and the international community.

Listen to the Debrief Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.