Sudan Enters Fourth Year of War: 150,000 Dead and Global Silence

April 15 marked the third anniversary of war in Sudan. 150,000 dead, famine, drones — and near nonexistent Western coverage.

April 15, 2026 marked the third anniversary of the start of the war in Sudan ([see our analysis](/fr/sujets/soudan-3-ans-guerre-famine-oubli-20260415)). Egyptian media (Al-Ahram), Kenyan media (Daily Nation), Nigerian media (Premium Times), and Qatari media (Al Jazeera) documented a toll: 150,000 deaths, millions displaced, a worsening famine, and increasing use of drones by both sides – Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by General al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Hemedti.

Western coverage was almost non-existent. None of the five main American, British, or French dailies dedicated a front-page article to the third anniversary. Attention was monopolized by Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

The pattern is recurring: African humanitarian crises disappear from the global media agenda as soon as a conflict involving Western powers erupts elsewhere. Yemen suffered the same erasure after the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. Sudan has suffered the same erasure since the start of the war in Iran in February 2026.

The stakes are not peripheral. Sudan is Africa's third-largest country by land area. Famine could affect 25 million people, according to the UN. Refugee flows are destabilizing Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan. Both warring parties are armed by external powers: the United Arab Emirates supports the RSF, while Egypt and Iran support the SAF.

Western silence is not an oversight – it's a editorial choice. And this choice has consequences: without media pressure, diplomatic pressure dissipates. The UN Security Council has not adopted a resolution on Sudan since September 2025.