After three years of catastrophic conflict, Sudan is divided and partitioned between the warring parties and their various armed allies, with few signs of any breakthrough in mediation efforts, and every indication of further regional escalation. The national army - the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) - and the paramilitary-turned-rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were former allies who overthrew a civilian-led government before violently fracturing amid plans to integrate their forces.