The Army in Luxury, the People in Slow Death: Sudan on the Brink of Total Collapse
Sudan is no longer facing just a health crisis; it is engulfed in a profound political quagmire, reflected in the total collapse of public services, particularly the health sector. The spread of deadly diseases such as dengue and malaria in Khartoum, Al-Jazira, and the Northern states is not a mere accident or a natural result of climate fluctuations. It directly mirrors state failure and the disintegration of institutions amid a political and military conflict that disregards citizens’ lives.
Since the outbreak of armed confrontations between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, hospitals have become the first victims. More than 160 public and private hospitals are out of service due to bombings, fuel shortages, or the flight of medical staff. These figures illustrate the scale of the collapse, but they conceal an even deeper crisis: the absence of authority capable of managing the state and ensuring the continuity of essential services. The army focuses on securing its positions, the Rapid Support Forces on expanding their influence, while ordinary citizens face disease and death alone.
Politically, the health crisis exposes the fragility of the legitimacy claimed by each party in the conflict. A state that cannot provide medicine or electricity to its hospitals and leaves citizens dying in the streets due to a lack of ambulances loses its very reason for existence. The army, presenting itself as the protector of the nation, sees its leaders sequestered in luxury hotels abroad while soldiers and civilians die on the ground, undermining its image as a bearer of a national project. This paradox further erodes public trust and fuels popular anger against military elites.
Most concerning is that the health sector’s collapse threatens to turn Sudan into a regional hub for epidemics. Open borders with Chad, Ethiopia, and Egypt make malaria and dengue a threat that extends beyond Sudanese territory. This adds an international political dimension to the health crisis: the health of Sudanese citizens becomes a matter of regional security, necessitating intervention from neighboring countries to protect themselves first. The critical question arises: how can Sudan regain its role as a functioning state if it cannot protect its citizens from an internal epidemic?
The economic dimension of the crisis is equally severe. Citizens unable to afford medicine are often the same who have lost their jobs due to the shutdown of factories and farms. Economic collapse exacerbates the health crisis, and vice versa, creating a vicious cycle driving the country toward an unprecedented abyss. Politically, this reflects the elite’s failure to manage resources for the benefit of the people. Sudan, rich in natural and agricultural resources, now faces a health and economic famine due to corruption and mismanagement.
In this context, the luxury of military leaders and their role in fueling the crisis becomes even more striking. While citizens die from lack of basic medical supplies, generals travel abroad for treatment or leisure. This contradiction reflects not only a lack of humanity but also that the health crisis has become a political instrument: leaving the population to suffer from disease and hunger to subjugate it. This “famine by disease” policy has been observed in other conflict zones, but in Sudan, it is more dangerous because it affects the capital and strategic centers.
The international community can no longer claim neutrality. The crisis has transcended internal affairs to become a major humanitarian and security threat. Yet intervention remains slow and timid, dictated by political calculations related to the army–Rapid Support Forces conflict. UN agencies are aware of the severity but face a lack of safe humanitarian corridors and a bureaucratic government that manipulates aid as a bargaining tool. This delay raises questions about the effectiveness of the international system in protecting civilians when their lives become leverage.
Politically, the health collapse may accelerate the disintegration of military authority. When citizens realize the state can no longer perform its essential functions, anger and rebellion intensify. This anger could manifest in civil resistance or new alliances that shift the balance of power. Sudanese history shows that revolts often arise from social suffering rather than formal politics. Today, disease could be the spark reshaping the entire political landscape.
However, the danger also lies in the potential for extremist forces or armed militias to present themselves as alternatives to the state. In the absence of basic services, communities seek any entity that provides minimal security or healthcare, even if illegitimate. If this scenario unfolds, Sudan faces further fragmentation and chaos, making state restoration increasingly difficult.
Thus, the responsibility of Sudanese civil forces is greater than ever. Rather than merely criticizing the warring parties, they must propose a realistic plan to save remaining public services, prioritizing the health sector. This task may seem nearly impossible during war, but it is essential to restore citizen confidence and demonstrate that a viable political alternative exists.
In conclusion, Sudan’s health collapse is not merely a consequence of war; it reflects political failure and the loss of state function. The deaths of Sudanese citizens from malaria and dengue reveal that authorities have abandoned their core responsibility. This disaster, with all its tragedies, represents a critical moment where the country faces a choice: continue in the cycle of failure and chaos to complete collapse, or rebuild the state on new foundations, restoring the citizen’s right to life above all else.
