The Forgotten War

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: Who pays the price when a nation goes to war with itself?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article (see right). Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• cede (p. 13)
• coup (p. 13)
• formidable (p. 14)
• marginalized (p. 14)
• indiscriminate (p. 14)
• pivotal (p. 15)

3. Engage
Introduce students to the article by asking them to discuss what they know about Sudan and whether they’re aware of a civil war in that nation.  

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: The Forgotten War, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article? How does the title of the article help you understand the author’s purpose? (Author’s purpose, text structure) (The author’s main purpose is to explain why the civil war in Sudan is happening and to suggest that it is not getting the global attention one would expect, despite the number of global actors involved and the terrible effect it is having on the Sudanese population. The title “A Forgotten War” helps the reader understand that the author wants to highlight this disparity.)

• What conclusions can you draw by analyzing the data presented in “Sudan at a Glance”? (Analyze visual data, draw conclusions) (Students’ answers may vary, but some may conclude that the median age of 19 implies that Sudan’s problems, such as its history of instability and civil war, have taken a toll on the lifespan of the Sudanese people; the low GDP per capita implies that the country is poorer than the U.S.; and the low percentage who have access to the internet implies that the country has a less developed infrastructure.)

• Why is there a civil war in Sudan? Briefly summarize the events that led to the conflict. (Summarize, central ideas) (In 2021, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese Army, and Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan, leader of the R.S.F., banded together to overthrow the Sudanese government, which was transitioning to democracy after jailing authoritarian leader President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. In 2023, the two generals turned on each other, disagreeing over how to integrate their forces into a single army. They’re now fighting for control of the country and its resources.)

• In the section “A Global Conflict,” the author writes that the war has turned Sudan “into a global free-for-all.” What does she mean? What details in the section support this idea? (Word meaning, cite text evidence) (The author means that Sudan’s current vulnerable state has led to a large number of foreign governments interfering in the war in order to enrich themselves by gaining access to Sudan’s gold or to its position on the Red Sea. To support this idea, the author notes that the United Arab Emirates has secretly supplied weapons to the R.S.F.; Iran, Ukraine, and Egypt have provided military aid to the Sudanese army; and Russia has supported both sides.) 

• How does the text feature “The U.S. & Sudan” connect to the rest of the article? Why do you think the author included this feature? (Integrate multiple sources, text structure)(The text feature “The U.S. & Sudan” describes the role that the U.S. has played in the conflict, such as working along with Saudi Arabia to broker peace talks, and the criticism the U.S. faces for not doing more to stop the war in the first place. Student’s answers about author’s purpose may vary.) 

• Why do you think Americans have paid little attention to the conflict in Sudan? Why do you think Americans pay attention to certain global conflicts and not others? (Make inferences, cause & effect)(Students’ responses will vary, but they should support their ideas with reasoning.)

6. Writing Prompt
Research the peace talks that failed in August 2024. What happened and why did they fail? Explain in a brief essay.

7. Video
Watch the video about a student in Sudan. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Should the U.S. take more action to end the war in Sudan?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension and the Analyze the Photo skill sheet to practice visual analysis.