A civil war between two rival factions of the military government of

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the

Janjaweed The Janjaweed ( ar, جنجويد, Janjawīd, lit=mounted gunman; also transliterated ''Janjawid'') are a Sudanese Arab militia group that operate in Sudan, particularly Darfur, and eastern Chad. Using the United Nations definition, the Janjaweed ...

leader

Hemedti ) , office = Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council , term_start = 11 November 2021 , term_end = 19 May 2023 , 1blankname = Chairman , 1namedata = Abdel Fattah al-Burhan , p ...

, began during

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

on 15 April 2023. Fighting has been concentrated around the capital city of Khartoum and the

Darfur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...

region. As of 21 January 2024, at least 13,000–15,000 people had been killed and 33,000 others were injured. As of 5 July 2024, over 7.7 million were internally displaced and more than 2.1 million others had fled the country as refugees, and many civilians in

have been reported dead as part of the Masalit massacres. The war began with attacks by the RSF on government sites as airstrikes, artillery, and gunfire were reported across Sudan. The cities of Khartoum and

Omdurman Omdurman (standard ar, أم درمان ''Umm Durmān'') is a city in Sudan. It is the most populated city in the country, and thus also in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the ...

were divided between the two warring factions, with al-Burhan relocating his government to Port Sudan as RSF forces captured most of Khartoum's government buildings. Attempts by international powers to negotiate a ceasefire culminated in the Treaty of Jeddah in May 2023, which failed to stop the fighting and was ultimately abandoned. Over the next few months, a stalemate occurred, during which the two sides were then joined by rebel groups who had previously fought against Sudan's government. By mid-November, the Minni Minnawi and

Mustafa Tambour Mustafa Tambour (; born 24 July 1982) is the leader of an Sudan Liberation Movement faction known as SLM-Tambour, which is involved in the conflict in Darfur, supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Befo ...

factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement officially joined the war in support of the SAF, alongside the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). In contrast, the

Tamazuj The Third Front, known as Tamazuj, is a claimed rebel group based in the Darfur and Kordofan regions of Sudan. Name The word ''tamazuj'' has been translated from a South Sudanese Arabic word meaning "blend" (). History Apparently formed ...

movement joined forces with the RSF, while the

Abdelaziz al-Hilu Abdelaziz Adam Al-Hilu ( ar, عبد العزيز الحلو; born 7 July 1954) is a Sudanese politician and the current chairperson of the Sudan People's Liberation Army - SPLA-North. Biography Al-Hilu was born in Al-Faydh Umm Abdullah, South Kor ...

faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North attacked SAF positions in the south of the country. Starting in October 2023, momentum began to swing toward the RSF, as the paramilitary defeated army forces in Darfur and made gains in Khartoum State, Kordofan, and

Gezira State Gezira (), also spelt Al Jazirah, Al Jazeera and Al Jazira, is one of the 18 states of Sudan. The state lies between the Blue Nile and the White Nile in the east-central region of the country. The state has a population of 5,096,920 as of 2018, ...

. Since February 2024, the SAF has made gains in Omdurman. Since June 2024, the RSF has made gains in Sennar State. Further negotiations between the warring sides have so far produced no significant results, while many countries have provided military or political support for either al-Burhan or Hemedti.

Background

Sudan has been inhabited since prehistory and has seen many

conflicts Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...

, with foreign invasions and resistance,

ethnic tensions Ethnic hatred, inter-ethnic hatred, racial hatred, or ethnic tension refers to notions and acts of prejudice and hostility towards an ethnic group in varying degrees. There are multiple origins for ethnic hatred and the resulting ethnic conflic ...

, religious disputes, and disputes over resources throughout antiquity and the middle ages. Sudan was conquered by Egypt in 1821, and in 1881 the religious leader Muhammad Ahmad led a nationalist revolt and established an "Islamic and national" Mahdist State in much of the territory of modern Sudan. After Ahmad's death, a British-Egyptian force commanded by Lord Kitchener retook Sudan. In 1899, the country became a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom, but was ''de facto'' ruled by the UK alone and would remain under British control until 1956, when it gained independence and inherited its pre-1911 borders. Sudan has experienced more than 15 military coups and usually been ruled by the military, interspersed with short periods of democratic parliamentary rule. Two civil wars the first from 1955 to 1972 and the second, 1983 to 2005between the central government and the southern regions, which led to the independence of South Sudan in 2011, killed 1.5 million people, and a conflict in the western region of Darfur displaced two million people and killed more than 200,000 others.

War in Darfur and the formation of the RSF

By the turn of the 21st century, Sudan's western

region had endured prolonged instability and social strife due to a combination of racial and ethnic tensions and disputes over land and water. In 2003, this situation erupted into a full-scale rebellion against government rule, against which president and military strongman Omar al-Bashir vowed to use forceful action. The resulting War in Darfur was marked by widespread state-sponsored acts of violence, leading to charges of war crimes and genocide against al-Bashir. The initial phase of the conflict left approximately 300,000 dead and 2.7 million were forcibly displaced; even though the intensity of the violence later declined, the situation in the region remained far from peaceful. To crush uprisings by non-Arab tribes in the Nuba Mountains, al-Bashir relied upon the

, a collection of Arab militias which was drawn from camel-trading tribes which were active in Darfur and portions of

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

. In 2013, al-Bashir announced that the Janjaweed would be reorganized as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and he also announced that the RSF would be placed under the command of the Janjaweed's commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, more commonly known as Hemedti.Harriet Barber
'Men with no mercy': The vicious history of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces
, ''Telegraph'' (25 April 2023).Michael Georgy
How Sudan's Hemedti carved his route to power
, Reuters (15 April 2023) The RSF perpetrated mass killings, mass rapes, pillage, torture, and destruction of villages and were accused of committing

ethnic cleansing Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic, racial, and religious groups from a given area, with the intent of making a region ethnically homogeneous. Along with direct removal, extermination, deportation or population transfer ...

against the Fur,

Masalit The Masalit (Masalit: ''masala/masara''; ar, ماساليت) are an ethnic group inhabiting western Sudan and eastern Chad. They speak the Masalit language Overview The Masalit primarily live in Geneina, the capital of west Darfur, a few thousand ...

, and

Zaghawa Zaghawa may refer to: * Zaghawa people * Zaghawa language Zaghawa is a Saharan language spoken by the Zaghawa people of east-central Chad (in the Sahel) and northwestern Sudan (Darfur). The people who speak this language call it Beria, from ''Be ...

peoples. Leaders of the RSF have been indicted for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC),Factbox: Who are Sudan's Rapid Support Forces?
, Reuters (15 April 2023). but Hemedti was not personally implicated in the 2003–2004 atrocities. In 2017, a new law gave the RSF the status of an "independent security force". Hemedti received several gold mines in Darfur as patronage from al-Bashir, and his personal wealth grew substantially. Bashir sent RSF forces to quash a 2013 uprising in South Darfur and deployed RSF units to fight in Yemen and Libya. During this time, the RSF developed a working relationship with the Russian private military outfit Wagner Group. These developments ensured that RSF forces grew into the tens of thousands and came to possess thousands of armed pickup trucks which regularly patrolled the streets of Khartoum. The Bashir regime allowed the RSF and other armed groups to proliferate to prevent threats to its security from within the armed forces, a practice known as " coup-proofing".

Political transition

In December 2018, protests against al-Bashir's regime began, starting the first phase of the

Sudanese Revolution The Sudanese Revolution was a major shift of political power in Sudan that started with street protests throughout Sudan on 19 December 2018 and continued with sustained civil disobedience for about eight months, during which the 2019 Sudane ...

. Eight months of sustained civil disobedience were met with violent repression.Sudan timeline: From the fall of Bashir to street-fighting in Khartoum
, ''Middle East Eye'' (18 April 2023). In April 2019, the military (including the RSF) ousted al-Bashir in a coup d'état, ending his three decades of rule; the army established the Transitional Military Council, a

junta Junta may refer to: Government and military * Junta (governing body) (from Spanish), the name of various historical and current governments and governing institutions, including civil ones ** Military junta, one form of junta, government led by ...

. Bashir was imprisoned in Khartoum; he was not turned over to the ICC, which had issued warrants for his arrest on charges of war crimes.Jack Jeffrey & Samy Magdt
Deal to restore democratic transition in Sudan delayed again
, Associated Press (7 April 2023). Protests calling for civilian rule continued; in June 2019, the TMC's security forces, which included both the RSF and the SAF, perpetrated the

Khartoum massacre The Khartoum massacre occurred on 3 June 2019, when the armed forces of the Sudanese Transitional Military Council, headed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the immediate successor organisation to the Janjaweed militia, used heavy gunfire and ...

, in which more than a hundred demonstrators were killed and dozens were raped. Hemedti denied orchestrating the attack. In August 2019, in response to international pressure and mediation by the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...

and Ethiopia, the military agreed to share power in an interim joint civilian-military unity government (the

Transitional Sovereignty Council The Transitional Sovereignty Council ( ar, مجلس السيادة الإنتقالي) is the collective head of state of Sudan, formed on 20 August 2019, by the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration. It was dissolved by Chairman Abde ...

), headed by a civilian Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok, with elections to be held in 2023. In October 2021, the military seized power in a coup led by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Hemedti. The Transitional Sovereignty Council was reconstituted as a new military junta led by al-Burhan, monopolizing power and halting Sudan's transition to democracy.

Origins of the SPLM-N and the SLM

The Sudan Liberation Movement (or Army; SLM, SLA, or SLM/A) is a rebel group active in Darfur, primarily composed of members of non-Arab ethnic groups and established in response to their marginalization by the Bashir regime. Since 2006, the movement has split into several factions due to disagreements over the

Darfur Peace Agreement The Darfur Peace Agreement may refer to one of three peace agreements that were signed by the Government of Sudan and Darfur-based rebel groups in 2006, 2011 and 2020 with the intention of ending the Darfur Conflict. Abuja Agreement (2006) Th2006 ...

, with some factions joining the government in Khartoum. By 2023 the three most prominent factions were the SLM-Minnawi under Minni Minnawi, the SLM-al-Nur under Abdul Wahid al-Nur, and the SLM-Tambour under

. The SLM-Minnawi and SLM-Tambour signed the 2020

Juba Peace Agreement The Juba Peace Agreement, also known as the Juba Agreement for Peace in Sudan, or simply the Juba Agreement, is a peace agreement, with a preliminary signing on 31 August 2020, in Juba, South Sudan, by the Sudanese government, headed by Abdallah ...

, ceasing hostilities and receiving political appointments, but the SLM-al-Nur had refused to sign and kept fighting. The SPLM-N was founded by units of the predominantly South Sudanese Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army stationed in areas that remained in Sudan following the South Sudanese vote for independence in 2011. These forces then led a rebellion in the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile a few months later. In 2017, the SPLM-N split between a faction led by

and one led by Malik Agar, with al-Hilu demanding secularism as a condition for peace while Agar did not agree with this. During the Sudanese Revolution, al-Hilu's faction declared an indefinite unilateral ceasefire. In 2020, a peace agreement was signed between the Sudanese government and Agar's faction, with Agar later joining the Transitional Sovereignty Council in Khartoum. Al-Hilu held out until he agreed to sign a separate peace agreement with the Sudanese government a few months after. Further steps to consolidate the agreement stalled following the 2021 coup, and the al-Hilu faction instead signed an agreement with the SLM-al-Nur and the Sudanese Communist Party, agreeing to co-operate in order to draft a 'revolutionary charter' and remove the military from power.

Prelude

In the months after the 2021 coup the already weak Sudanese economy steeply declined, fueling wide protests demanding that the junta return power to civilian authorities. Tensions arose between al-Burhan and Hemedti over al-Burhan's restoration to office of old-guard Islamist officials who had dominated the Omar al-Bashir government. Hemedti saw the appointment of these officials as a signal that al-Burhan was attempting to maintain the dominance of Khartoum's traditional elite over Sudanese politics. This was a danger to the RSF's political position, as said elites were hostile to Hemedti due to his ethnic background as a Darfuri Arab. Hemedti's expression of regret over the October 2021 coup signaled a widening divide between him and al-Burhan. Tensions between the RSF and the SAF began to escalate in February 2023, as the RSF began to recruit members across Sudan. Throughout February and early March the RSF built up in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, until a deal was brokered on 11 March and the RSF withdrew. As part of this deal negotiations were conducted between the SAF, RSF, and civilian leaders, but these negotiations were delayed and halted by political disagreements. Chief among the disputes was the integration of the RSF into the military: the RSF insisted on a 10-year timetable for its integration into the regular army, while the army demanded integration within two years. Other contested issues included the status given to RSF officers in the future hierarchy, and whether RSF forces should be under the command of the army chief rather than Sudan's commander-in-chief, al-Burhan. On 11 April 2023, RSF forces deployed near the city of Merowe as well as in Khartoum.Sudan: clashes around the presidential palace, there are fears of a coup attempt in Khartoum – video
, 15 April 2023. Government forces ordered them to leave, and were refused. This led to clashes when RSF forces took control of the Soba military base south of Khartoum. On 13 April, RSF forces began their mobilization, raising fears of a potential rebellion against the junta. The SAF declared the mobilization illegal.

Course of the war

April–May 2023

Battle of Khartoum

On 15 April 2023, the RSF attacked SAF bases across Sudan, including Khartoum and its airport. There were clashes at the headquarters of the state broadcaster,

Sudan TV Sudan TV or Sudan National Broadcasting Corporation (SNBC) is an Arabic language television network. It is Sudan's national network and is government-owned and operated. Sudan TV is one of six television networks in the country. The next day saw a SAF counteroffensive, with the army retaking Merowe Airport alongside the headquarters of Sudan TV and the state radio. The Sudan Civil Aviation Authority closed the country's airspace as fighting began. Telecommunications provider MTN shut down Internet services, and by 23 April there was a near-total Internet outage attributed to attacks on the electricity grid. Sudanese international trade began to break down, with Maersk, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, announcing a pause on new shipments to the country. Malik Agar governor 2009-08-19

directed his forces to capture or kill al-Burhan, and RSF units engaged in pitched and bloody combat with the Republican Guard. Ultimately al-Burhan managed to evade capture or assassination, but his base at the Sudanese Armed Forces Headquarters was placed under RSF siege, rendering him unable to leave Khartoum. In an interview with

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

, Hemedti accused al-Burhan and his commanders of forcing the RSF to start the war by scheming to bring deposed leader Omar al-Bashir back to power. He called for the international community to intervene against al-Burhan, claiming that the RSF was fighting against radical Islamic militants. Following the first few days of war the SAF brought in reinforcements from the Ethiopian border. Although a ceasefire was announced for

Eid al-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...

, fighting continued across the country. Combat was described as particularly intense along the highway from Khartoum to Port Sudan and in the industrial zone of al-Bagair. Intercommunal clashes were reported in Blue Nile State and in Geneina. By the beginning of May the SAF claimed to have weakened the RSF's combat capabilities and repelled their advances in multiple regions. The

Sudanese police Sudanese or Sudanic may refer to: *pertaining to the country of Sudan **the people of Sudan, see Demographics of Sudan *pertaining to Sudan (region) **Sudanic languages **Sudanic race, subtype of the Africoid racial category See also *Sudanese Civ ...

deployed its Central Reserve Forces in the streets of Khartoum in support of the SAF, claiming to have arrested several hundred RSF fighters. The SAF announced it was launching an all-out attack on RSF in Khartoum using air strikes and artillery. Air strikes and ground offensives against the RSF over the next few days caused significant damage to infrastructure, but failed to dislodge RSF forces from their positions. Following further threats to his life from Hemedti, al-Burhan gave a public video address from his besieged base at the Army Headquarters, vowing to continue fighting. On 19 May, al-Burhan officially removed Hemedti as his deputy in the Transitional Sovereignty Council and replaced him with former rebel leader and council member Malik Agar. With al-Burhan trapped in Khartoum, Agar became ''de facto'' leader of the Sudanese government, assuming responsibility for peace negotiations, international visits and the day-to-day running of the country.

Treaty of Jeddah

International attention to the conflict resulted in the United Nations Human Rights Council calling a special session to address the violence, voting to increase monitoring of human rights abuses. On 6 May, delegates from the SAF and the RSF met directly for the first time in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...

, Saudi Arabia for what was described by Saudi Arabia and the United States as "pre-negotiation talks". After diplomatic lobbying from the Saudis and Americans the warring sides signed the Treaty of Jeddah on 20 May, vowing to ensure the safe passage of civilians, protect relief workers, and prohibit the use of civilians as

human shields A human shield is a non-combatant (or a group of non-combatants) who either volunteers or is forced to shield a legitimate military target in order to deter the enemy from attacking it. The use of human shields as a resistance measure was popula ...

. The agreement did not include a ceasefire, and clashes resumed in Geneina, causing more casualties. The United Nations

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is a high-level position in the United Nations that heads the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The current holder is Martin Griffiths of the ...

Martin Griffiths Martin Griffiths (born 3 July 1951) is a British diplomat who currently serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations. Personal life and education Born in Wales, Griffiths w ...

expressed frustration at the lack of commitment from both sides to end the fighting. The situation remained volatile, with both sides trading blame for attacks on churches, hospitals, and embassies. Casualties mounted, particularly in Geneina, where Arab militias loyal to the RSF were accused of atrocities against non-Arab residents. A temporary ceasefire was signed and faced challenges as fighting persisted in Khartoum, and the agreed-upon ceasefire time saw further violence. Between 28 and 97 people were reportedly killed by the RSF and Arab militias when they attacked the predominantly

town of Misterei in West Darfur on 28 May.

June–September 2023

Continued fighting in Khartoum

As June began, Khartoum witnessed tank battles resulting in casualties. The RSF took control of several important cultural and government buildings, including the National Museum of Sudan and the Yarmouk Military Industrial Complex. Acute food insecurity affected a significant portion of Sudan's population. By July, al-Burhan was still trapped at the Army Headquarters and unable to leave, and in order to break him out the SAF elected to send a column of troops to lift the siege of the base. This force was ambushed by the RSF and defeated, with the paramilitary claiming it had killed hundreds of soldiers and captured 90 vehicles, along with the column's commander. In response to the escalating violence in Khartoum the SAF increased the intensity of their airstrikes and artillery bombardment, leading to heightened civilian casualties often numbering in the dozens per strike. Shelling by the RSF also increased in intensity, leading to many civilian casualties in turn. Heavy fighting continued in Khartoum throughout August, with clashes breaking out across the city. The RSF laid siege to the SAF's Armoured Corps base, breaching its defences and taking control of surrounding neighborhoods. The SAF also made offensives, with the RSF-controlled

Republican Palace The Republican Palace ( ar, القصر الجمهوري, ') is a palace in Baghdad, Iraq, constructed on the orders of King Faisal II. It was Saddam Hussein's preferred place to meet visiting heads of state. The United States spared the palace ...

and Yarmouk Complex coming under SAF air bombardment. An offensive was launched against Yarmouk, but this was beaten back after the RSF shipped in reinforcements. One of the few remaining bridges between Khartoum and

Khartoum North Khartoum North or Khartoum Bahri ( ar, الخرطوم بحري, al-Kharṭūm Baḥrī) is a city in Khartoum State, lying to the north of Khartoum city, the capital of Sudan. It is located on the north bank of the Blue Nile and the east bank of t ...

was also destroyed by the SAF, in an attempt to deny the RSF freedom of movement. On 24 August a SAF military operation successfully rescued al-Burhan from his besieged base at the Army Headquarters, allowing him to head to Port Sudan and hold a cabinet meeting there.

Diplomatic efforts

Ceasefires between the warring parties were announced but often violated, leading to further clashes. The SAF and RSF engaged in mutual blame for incidents, while the Sudanese government took actions against international envoys. The Saudi embassy in Khartoum was attacked, and evacuations from an orphanage were carried out amid the chaos. Amidst the turmoil, Sudan faced diplomatic strains with Egypt, leading to challenges for Sudanese refugees seeking entry. With al-Burhan out of Khartoum for the first time since the start of the war, he was able to fly to Egypt and hold a meeting with the Egyptian President

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...

. Following this visit al-Burhan went on a tour of numerous countries, heading to South Sudan, Qatar, Eritrea, Turkey, and Uganda. He then proceeded to New York City as head of the Sudanese delegation to the 78th United Nations General Assembly, where he urged the international community to declare the RSF a terrorist organization.

SPLM-N (Al-Hilu) involvement

The

faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N) broke a long-standing ceasefire agreement in June, attacking SAF units in

Kadugli Kaduqli or Kadugli ( ar, كادوقلي ' Sudanese pronunciation: ) is the capital city of South Kordofan State, Sudan. It is located south of El-Obeid, at the northern edge of the White Nile plain in the Nuba Mountains. It contains Hi ...

, Kurmuk and Dalang, the latter coinciding with an attack by the RSF. The SAF claimed to have repelled the attacks, while the rebels claimed to have attacked in retaliation for the death of one of their soldiers at the hands of the SAF and vowed to free the region from "military occupation". More than 35,000 were displaced by the fighting. Speculation arose as to whether the attacks were part of an unofficial alliance between al-Hilu and the RSF or an attempt by al-Hilu to strengthen his position in future negotiations concerning his group. Civil society organizations supporting the SPLM-N claimed its operations sought to protect civilians from possible attacks by the RSF. Al-Hilu's faction launched further offensives in July, moving into South Kordofan and gaining control of several SAF bases. In response the SAF brought in artillery and heavily bombarded SPLM-N positions. Further attacks by the group largely petered out after this, with an assault on Kadugli in September being pushed back by the SAF.

Darfur front

In Darfur fighting and bloodshed was particularly fierce around the city of Geneina, where hundreds died and extensive destruction occurred. RSF forces engaged in frequent acts of violence against the

population of Geneina, leading to accusations of

. On 4 August the RSF claimed that it had taken full control over all of Central Darfur. A United Nations investigation discovered numerous mass graves in Darfur that contained Masalit civilians. The RSF and Arab militias were additionally accused of having killed lawyers, human rights monitors, doctors and non-Arab tribal leaders. The governor of West Darfur,

Khamis Abakar Khamis Abdullah Abakar (; 30 March 1964 – 14 June 2023) also known as Abdallah Abakar was a Sudanese politician, activist and former army commander who served as the Governor of West Darfur from 2021 until his assassination. Prior to being go ...

, was abducted and killed by armed men in June, hours after accusing the RSF of genocide and calling for international intervention in a TV interview. The SAF, for their part, conducted indiscriminate airstrikes against Darfur that killed many civilians, especially in Nyala. Tribal and rebel groups in Darfur began to declare allegiance to one or the other of the warring parties. A faction of the Darfur-based Sudan Liberation Movement led by

(SLM-T) joined the conflict in support of the SAF. In contrast the controversial

rebel group formally declared its alliance with the RSF, joined by the leaders of seven Arab tribes, including that of Hemedti's. As September arrived both sides made offensives in Darfur. The RSF took control of several towns in West Darfur and also attacked the market of

Al-Fashir Al Fashir, Al-Fashir or El Fasher ( ar, الفاشر) is the capital city of North Darfur, Sudan. It is a large town in the Darfur region of northwestern Sudan, northeast of Nyala, Sudan. "Al-Fashir" (description) ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

, the capital of North Darfur. SAF offensives saw success in Central Darfur, with the army retaking parts of Zalingei from the RSF. Fighting in Darfur also began to increasingly spill over into North Kordofan, with the SAF attacking RSF positions in the state capital of El-Obeid and clashes over the town of

Um Rawaba Umm Ruwaba, also Umm Ruwabah ( ar, أم روابة; Ruaba and Umm Ruaba), is a city in the state of North Kurdufan in Sudan and is the capital of the Umm Ruwabah District. By road it is located southeast of El Obeid, and west of Rabak. Founded ...

. Both sides made withdrawals to end the month, with the RSF retreating from Um Rawaba while the SAF withdrew from

Tawila Tawila or Tawilah () is a town in North Darfur, North Darfur State, Sudan. History In 2004, the town was destroyed during the War in Darfur. The town has been victimised by militiamen. The United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur, Unit ...

October–December 2023

SAF collapse in Darfur

By October 2023, the SAF in Darfur was experiencing acute shortages in supplies due to RSF-imposed sieges, and had failed to utilize its air superiority to stem RSF advances. On 26 October, the RSF captured Nyala, Sudan's fourth-largest city, after seizing control of the SAF's 16th Infantry Division headquarters. The fall of Nyala, a strategic city with an international airport and border connections to Central Africa, allowed the RSF to receive international supplies more easily and concentrate its forces on other Sudanese cities. After Nyala's fall, RSF fighters turned their focus to Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur. The SAF's 21st Infantry Division, stationed in Zalingei, fled the city without a fight and allowed the RSF to take it over. In Geneina, reports emerged that tribal elders were attempting to broker the surrender of the SAF garrison in the city to prevent bloodshed. The army rejected the proposal, raising fears of an imminent RSF assault on the city and causing civilians to flee across the border into Chad. The RSF besieged the headquarters of the SAF's 15th Infantry Division in Geneina, giving the garrison a six-hour ultimatum to surrender. The base was captured two days later when the 15th withdrew from the area before fleeing to Chad. Those left behind, numbering in the hundreds, were taken prisoner and paraded in RSF media with signs of abuse. Witnesses later reported mass atrocities perpetrated by the RSF in the city shortly after its seizure, with a local rebel group claiming up to 2,000 people were massacred in Geneina's satellite town of Ardamata. With Geneina's fall, Ed Daein and Al-Fashir were the last remaining capitals in Darfur under government control, with both cities under heavy RSF pressure. The RSF stormed and plundered the town of

Umm Keddada Umm () means ''mother'' in Arabic. It is a common Arabic feminine given name and generic prefix for Semitic place names. It may refer to: Places Bahrain *Ain Umm Sujoor, an archaeological site *Umm an Nasan, an island *Umm as Sabaan, an islet Egy ...

, east of Al-Fashir, after the SAF garrison withdrew. SAF troops in Al-Fashir itself were reported to be running low on food, water, and medicine due to the city being under siege, and external forces noted the SAF seemed incapable of stopping the RSF advance. Ed Daein fell in the early hours of 21 November, with RSF forces taking control of the city after seizing the headquarters of the SAF's 20th Infantry Division. SAF garrisons in East Darfur subsequently abandoned their positions and withdrew, allowing the RSF to occupy the area. In response to RSF gains in Darfur and subsequent abuses, the Justice and Equality Movement, Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (Minnawi), and other smaller rebel factions renounced their neutrality and declared war on the RSF.

Peace negotiations stall

Attempts by other nations and international organisations to negotiate peace had largely been dormant since the failure of the Treaty of Jeddah, but in late October the RSF and SAF met once more in Jeddah to attempt to negotiate peace. This new round of talks was a failure, with neither side willing to commit to a ceasefire. Instead, the warring factions agreed to open channels for humanitarian aid. On 3 December negotiations were indefinitely suspended due to the failure of both the SAF and the RSF to open up aid channels. With the failure of the talks in Jeddah, the East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) hosted a peace summit in early December. Earlier attempts by IGAD to open negotiations had floundered after the SAF had accused Kenyan President William Ruto of supporting the RSF. IGAD's talks appeared to make more progress than the Jeddah negotiations, with Hemedti and al-Burhan agreeing to meet in person at some point in the future.

RSF Crossing of the Nile

The RSF attacked the town of Wad Ashana in North Kordofan on 1 October along a key commercial route. In West Kordofan, an uptick in fighting was reported, with the RSF assaulting a "vital" oil field in Baleela, south of

Al-Fulah Al-Fulah is a town in West Kordofan State in Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. ...

. Geolocated footage showed RSF fighters celebrating around Baleela Airport after allegedly capturing it. The Battle of Khartoum continued with the RSF seizing the town of al-Aylafoun, southeast of the capital, on 6 October. In the process, the paramilitary gained control of key oil infrastructure. By late October the RSF controlled most of Khartoum but had failed to seize key military bases, while al-Burhan's government had largely relocated to Port Sudan. The RSF sought to capitalize on its gains by stepping up attacks on SAF positions in Khartoum and Omdurman. Days of fighting culminated in the destruction of the

Shambat Bridge Shambat may refer to: *Shambat (city) Shambat is a city in Sudan and is located in the state of Khartoum. The University of Khartoum The University of Khartoum (U of K) ( ar, جامعة الخرطوم) is a public university located in Kharto ...

, which connected Khartoum North to Omdurman over the Nile; the bridge's destruction severing a critical RSF supply chain. This effectively cut the RSF off from its forces in Omdurman, giving the SAF a strategic advantage. In an attempt to gain a new crossing over the Nile and supply its forces in Omdurman, the RSF launched an assault on the

Jebel Aulia Dam The Jebal Aulia Dam is a dam on the White Nile near Khartoum, Sudan. Its construction began 1933 and was completed in 1937. When completed it was the largest dam in the World. The dam was built by Gibson and Pauling (Foreign) Ltd, which was a pa ...

in the village of

Jabal Awliya Jabal Awliya (, Jabal al Awliyā', Jebel Aulia, Gebel Aulia) is a village in the north-central part of Sudan, about south of Khartoum. Nearby is the Jebel Aulia Dam, built in 1937 by the British for the Egyptian government. Jabal Awliya became a ...

. As Jebel Aulia could not be destroyed without flooding Khartoum, its capture would give the RSF a path over the Nile the SAF could not easily remove. A week-long battle commenced over the dam and its surrounding village, which ended in an RSF victory. The force captured the dam on 20 November, all SAF resistance ceasing in the village the following day. On 5 December, local militias along with RSF soldiers attacked SPLM-N (al-Hilu) forces in the village of Tukma, southeast of Dalang in South Kordofan, resulting in the deaths of 4 people and the destruction of the village. The RSF leadership, not wanting hostilities with the neutral al-Hilu faction to escalate, issued a statement condemning this attack and denouncing it as "tribal violence". On 8 December, the RSF entered Gedaref State for the first time. Pushing south from their gains around Jebel Aulia and Khartoum, RSF forces began to move into

on 15 December, advancing toward its capital Wad Madani. Elsewhere in Gezira the RSF made major gains, taking control of the city of Rufaa in the state's east and entering the

Butana The Butana (Arabic: البطانة, ''Buṭāna''), historically called the Island of Meroë, is the region between the Atbara and the Nile in the Sudan. South of Khartoum it is bordered by the Blue Nile and in the east by Lake Tana in Ethiopia. ...

region. After several days of fighting the RSF seized the Hantoob Bridge on Wad Madani's eastern outskirts, crossing the Blue Nile and entering the city. The army put up little resistance in Wad Madani itself, the 1st Division withdrawing from the city as the RSF took over. The fall of Wad Madani was viewed as a major blow to the SAF, as it dramatically widened the frontline and opened up large parts of the country to potential RSF offensives. The city's fall allowed the RSF to capture most of Gezira and to make inroads in

White Nile State White Nile State ( ') is one of the 18 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 39,701 km2 and an estimated population of approximately 2,493,880 people (2018 est). Since 1994 Rabak is the capital of the state; other important cities inc ...

, capturing the town of El Geteina. Within a few days RSF fighters had advanced to within 25 km of Sennar, the largest city in Sennar State. Over the next few weeks RSF forces ventured into rural areas of

Al Qadarif State Al Qadarif ( '), also spelt ''Gadaref'' or ''Gadarif'', is one of the 18 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 75,263 km2 and an estimated population of approximately 1,400,000 (2000). Al Qadarif is the capital of the state; other to ...

and River Nile State, without establishing a significant presence. In Sennar State the RSF made some further minor advances, but had not attacked Sennar City by the year's end. Amid the deteriorating situation, the SAF was reported to be arming civilians while government officials in the east called on the population to mobilize. Al-Burhan gave a widely promoted public speech to soldiers in Red Sea State, promising to arm civilian militias to fight the RSF and to fight against 'colonialism', which was viewed by observers as a reference to the United Arab Emirates' support of the RSF.

January–April 2024

Hemedti travels abroad

Following the fall of Wad Madani efforts by IGAD to negotiate a ceasefire made progress, as the SAF's weakened position made them more eager to enter talks. Whereas previously opposition from Islamist political groups to negotiation had prevented al-Burhan from committing to a specific date, now both he and Hemedti agreed to meet on 28 December. A day before the meeting was due, it was cancelled as Hemedti recanted his desire to attend. Instead the RSF leader went on a diplomatic tour, travelling on a chartered Emirati jet and meeting with several African national leaders. One visit that was particularly promoted was his visit to

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

, where he met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and visited the

Kigali Genocide Memorial The Kigali Genocide Memorial commemorates the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The remains of over 250,000 people are interred there. There is a visitor centre for students and others wishing to understand the events leading up to the genocide that occurr ...

. On the tour Hemedti also met with former Prime Minister Hamdok and his

Taqaddum Taqaddom or Taqaddum (; ) is a reformist political party in Lebanon founded under the basis of the 17 October Revolution. It currently has 2 seats in the Lebanese parliament, which is part of a 13 member reformist bloc, with the likes of Najat Aou ...

organisation in Addis Ababa, with the RSF agreeing in a declaration negotiated with the Taqaddum to release political prisoners, open up humanitarian aid corridors and negotiate further with the SAF. This tour was regarded by observers as an attempt by Hemedti to portray himself as the leader of Sudan and improve his international image, as his reputation had been severely damaged since the fall of Wad Madani due to large-scale looting by RSF fighters. On 5 January, al-Burhan vowed to continue the war against the RSF and rejected the latest peace efforts, declaring that war crimes committed by the RSF precluded negotiation. On 14 January, both Hemedti and Burhan received official invitations from IGAD to attend its upcoming summit on 18 January. Hemedti agreed to attend, but Burhan refused to do so. On the 16th of January the Sudanese government suspended its ties with IGAD, accusing the body of violating Sudanese sovereignty. This effectively marked the end of IGAD's attempts to mediate peace talks.

Fighting in Kordofan and Gezira

As 2024 began the RSF made attacks into South Kordofan, defeating SAF forces in the town of Habila in the Nuba Mountains and pushing toward Dalang. On 7 January the RSF attacked SAF positions in Dalang, meeting fierce resistance from the army and civilian militias. During the fighting the SPLM-N (al-Hilu) entered the city, taking control of several neighborhoods. SPLM-N forces proceeded to attack the RSF, and the paramilitary retreated from the city. RSF fighters withdrawing from Dalang entered the city of Muglad in West Kordofan, easily taking control as the city had no organised SAF presence. West Kordofan had been relatively free of fighting for several months due to a local truce brokered by leaders of the Messiria tribe, but as tensions escalated rumours spread that the RSF was planning an attack on the encircled city of

Babanusa Babanusa is a town in western Sudan. History In 1965, 72 Dinka civilians were massacred in the town by an Arab mob during the First Sudanese Civil War. Climate Transport It is a railway junction on the national railway network where the ...

and the SAF 22nd Infantry Division garrisoning it. In January 2024, the RSF focused on consolidating its gains in

. Fighting was reported on 17 January east of

El Manaqil El Manaqil ( ar, المناقل), or Al Managil is a city in Al Jazirah state in the Sudan. Its population as of the controversial 2008 census was 99,775. Some estimates say the population is about 143,000; World Gazetteer estimated it in 2012 at ...

, the last major town not under RSF control. The SAF delivered weapons to the city by helicopter, including selectively distributing them among civilians in the town, attempting to bolster its defenses. Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) selectively recruited and armed civilians based on perceived loyalty. On 24 January 2024, the RSF launched an attack on Babanusa after encircling the city for months. By 25 January, the RSF gained control of the city center and entered the headquarters of the 22nd infantry division. Until March 2024, the RSF maintained its positions in Gezira State but was unable to break through. The RSF is recruiting in Gezira State to try to capture territory in El-Gadarif from the SAF. The JEM, which has allied with the SAF, helped the SAF build up its forces in El-Gadarif for a counteroffensive to try to retake Wad Madani. In April 2024, the SAF and its allies began the counteroffensive, attacking from the east and west of Wad Madani in an attempt to retake it. Clashes were reported in Al-Madina Arab on 15 April. Map Sudan Ohmdurman

SAF gains in Omdurman

The SAF gained ground in Omdurman in February 2024, linking up their forces in the northern part of the city and relieving a 10-month siege of their forces in the city center. The SAF also took control of the

Al-Hilal Stadium The Al-Hilal Stadium ( ar, الجوهرة الزرقاء) is a multi-use stadium located in Omdurman, Khartoum State Khartoum State ( ar, ولاية الخرطوم, Wilāyat al-Kharṭūm) is one of the eighteen states of Sudan. Although it is ...

. As of February 2024, the Omdurman front is the only area in Sudan where the SAF has carried out a sustained offensive operation, and represents the first major breakthrough for the SAF. On 12 March, the SAF defeated an attempted RSF counteroffensive in Omdurman and took control of the headquarters of the

Sudan National Broadcasting Corporation Sudan TV or Sudan National Broadcasting Corporation (SNBC) is an Arabic language television network. It is Sudan's national network and is government-owned and operated. Sudan TV is one of six television networks in the country.Khartoum North Khartoum North or Khartoum Bahri ( ar, الخرطوم بحري, al-Kharṭūm Baḥrī) is a city in Khartoum State, lying to the north of Khartoum city, the capital of Sudan. It is located on the north bank of the Blue Nile and the east bank of t ...

April 2024–present

Fighting in Darfur

On 15 April, during the

Battle of El Fasher The siege of El Fasher is an ongoing battle for control of the town of El Fasher in North Darfur during the Sudan conflict. The first battle for the city took place between 15 and 20 April 2023, and resulted in a ceasefire that held until 12 May ...

, at least nine civilians were killed in a renewed offensive by the RSF on the city of

in North Darfur. The Joint Darfur Force declared war on the RSF and allied with the SAF. The fighting in El Fasher has diverted SAF resources from other areas, hampering planned counter-offensives to retake Khartoum and Wad Madani. In particular, the SAF has been using its limited aviation resources to carry out airstrikes in North Darfur and resupply El Fasher using airdrops. On 14 June 2024, the SAF announced that it had killed

Ali Yaqoub Gibril Ali Yaqoub Gibril ( ar, علي يعقوب جبريل; 1 January 1964 – 14 June 2024) was a Sudanese military leader in the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He was accused of leading military operations that caused significant human rights violations ...

, a top RSF commander, in El Fasher. The United States had sanctioned Yagoub in May 2024 for endangering civilians in Darfur. In June 2024, ''The New York Times'' reported that more than 40 villages have been burned in El Fasher since April 2024. Since April 2024, the conflict had been escalating in El Fasher, while the civilians remained trapped with no safety or food. In a report, the International Crisis Group said the intensifying battle could lead to mass slaughter, and that there was a need for all sides to de-escalate. The report said the UN and the US should broker the de-escalation, and must put pressure on the RSF and its main supporters, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Crisis Group said the UAE should push the RSF to stand down. Besides, all parties were urged to allow the civilians to flee, open the region for aid delivery and resume national peace talks.

Fighting in Kordofan

As of May 2024, fighting is ongoing in

, West Kordofan. The RSF is conducting an offensive to attempt to take control of West Kordofan. Fighting was also reported in North Kordofan. On 20 June 2024, the RSF captured

, the capital of West Kordofan, after the SAF withdrew from the city after several hours of fighting. The SAF retreated to Babanusa, its one remaining base in Kordofan.

Fighting along the Nile

In May 2024, the RSF launched attacks against the SAF between Khartoum State and River Nile State, as well as in

near the border with Gezira state. The SAF is preparing its forces in River Nile State, ahead of a potential invasion of Khartoum Bahri. As of June 2024, the RSF is still in control of Khartoum and Khartoum North, though the SAF controls one enclave in each that it supplies by airdrop. In late June 2024, the RSF began an assault in the areas surrounding the city of Sennar. RSF forces struck out to the west of the city, causing the SAF to bring in reinforcements in anticipation of an attack on Sennar itself. Instead RSF forces avoided Sennar and attacked south towards Singa, the capital of Sennar State, capturing the lightly defended town on 29 June. This prevented the SAF from reinforcing Sennar from the south, placing the city under increased pressure. Following the fall of Singa, SAF resistance collapsed across much of southern Sennar, which led to the RSF occupying the towns of Dinder, Mazmoun and Wad an-Nail with minimal SAF resistance. A united force consisting of the

Gedaref El-Gadarif ( ar, القضارف '), also spelt ''Gedaref'' or ''Gedarif'', is the capital of the state of Al Qadarif (state), Al Qadarif in Sudan. It lies on the road that connects Khartoum with Gallabat on the Ethiopia–Sudan border, Ethiopian bo ...

-based 2nd SAF Infantry Division and a battalion of the JEM assaulted and retook Dinder on 1 July, but were driven out again by the RSF over the next few days. On 20 July, the RSF announced the death of Brigadier General Abdel Rahman Al-Bishi, its head of operations in Sennar and Blue Nile States, with Sudanese media reporting that he had been killed in an SAF airstrike.

Casualties

As of March 2024, at least 14,000–15,000 people had been killed and 33,000 others injured, according to the UN. The Sultanate of Dar Masalit claimed on 20 June 2023 that more than 5,000 people were killed and about 8,000 were wounded in fighting in West Darfur alone, while a Masalit tribal leader told the Sudanese news outlet Ayin Network on 22 July 2023 that more than 10,000 people had been killed in the state. On 12 June 2023, the Sudan Doctors Syndicate said at least 959 civilians had been killed and 4,750 others were injured. On 15 August 2023, the UN said that at least 435 children had been killed in the conflict. Doctors on the ground warned that stated figures do not include all casualties as people could not reach hospitals due to difficulties in movement. A spokesperson for the

Sudanese Red Crescent The Sudanese Red Crescent (SRC) is the biggest and most decentralized and widespread humanitarian organization operating in Sudan. The society developed out of the Sudan branch of the British Red Cross Society and was established in 1956.Adela de ...

was quoted as saying that the number of casualties "was not small". Sudanese prosecutors recorded over 500 missing persons cases across the country, some of which were enforced disappearances, and were mostly blamed on the RSF. On 2 May 2024, a US Senate hearing on the war estimated that between 15,000 and 30,000 people have died but considered that to be an underestimation by a factor of 10 to 15 times saying the real death toll could be as high as 150,000. As of 27 May 2024, Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project data reports 17,044 fatalities.

Darfur

In Geneina, West Darfur, ethnic clashes that began in the last week of April 2023 had killed at least 1,100 people, while the Sultanate of Dar Masalit claimed that more than 5,000 people were killed and about 8,000 were wounded in the city. In July 2023, a Masalit tribal leader claimed that more than 10,000 people had been killed in West Darfur alone, and that 80% of Geneina's residents had fled. Massacres were recorded in towns such as

and Misterei, while a mass grave was discovered in Geneina containing the bodies of 87 people killed in clashes. Several intellectuals, politicians, professionals and nobility were assassinated. Most of these atrocities were blamed on the RSF and allied Arab militias. The UK government, witnesses and other observers described the violence in the region as tantamount to

or even genocide, with non-Arab groups such as the

being the primary victims. Mujeebelrahman Yagoub, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees in West Darfur called the violence worse than the War in Darfur in 2003 and the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Sexual violence

In July 2023, authorities reported at least 88 cases of sexual assault on women across the country, most of them blamed on the RSF. NGOs estimated that the figure could possibly reach 4,400. Activist Hala al-Karib stated that war rape had become an everyday occurrence with both fighting parties participating. In 2024,

reported that Sudanese women were forced to exchange sex for food or become mistresses to RSF fighters to ensure their families’ safety and access to food.

Casualties among humanitarian workers

In the

Battle of Kabkabiya The Battle of Kabkabiya took place in Kabkabiya, North Darfur, Sudan, during the 2023 Sudan conflict, 2023 war in Sudan Background In May 2015, a clash between militiamen and troops of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) in Kabkabiya lea ...

, three employees of the World Food Programme (WFP) were killed after being caught in the crossfire at a military base. Two other staff members were injured. On 18 April 2023, the EU's top humanitarian aid officer in Sudan, Wim Fransen of Belgium, was shot and injured in Khartoum. On 21 April 2023, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that one of its local employees was killed in a crossfire while traveling with his family near El-Obeid. On 20 July 2023, an 18-member team of Médecins Sans Frontières was attacked while transporting supplies to the Turkish Hospital in south Khartoum. By then, the World Health Organization had verified 51 attacks on medical facilities and personnel since the conflict began, resulting in 10 deaths and 24 injuries. On 25 July 2023, Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami said 18 aid workers had been killed and over two dozen others were detained or unaccounted for. The conflict has led the United Nations to declare Sudan the most dangerous country in the world for humanitarian workers after South Sudan. The situation was further compounded by attacks on humanitarian facilities, with more than 50 warehouses looted, 82 offices ransacked, and over 200 vehicles stolen. On 2 June 2023, the WFP reported that looting of WFP warehouses in El Obeid jeopardised the food supply of up to 4.4 million people.

Attacks on journalists

The SAF and RSF are accused of threatening, attacking, and killing journalists during the conflict. The

Sudanese Journalists Syndicate The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) () is a professional organisation for journalists in Sudan. The syndicate was re-established in August 2022 after more than three decades of absence. The last independent journalists' union was dissolved i ...

documented over 40 violations in May alone. Several journalists were injured or killed, and 13 newspapers ceased operations. Humanitarian workers were also targeted, with 18 killed and many others detained. Media organizations accused both the SAF and the RSF of threatening, attacking and even killing several journalists during the conflict, with the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate documenting more than 40 such violations during the second half of May alone. Aside from the occupation of state media channels, the RSF raided the offices of the newspapers ''El Hirak El Siyasi'', ''El Madaniya'' and the Sudanese Communist Party's ''El Midan'' and shot and injured photojournalists Faiz Abubakr, and Ali Shata, while the SAF was accused of circulating lists of journalists it accused of supporting the RSF. BBC journalist Mohamed Othman was reportedly attacked and beaten in Khartoum while a correspondent and cameramen for the El Sharg news outlet were detained for hours near Merowe airport on the first day of the fighting on 15 April 2023. On 16 June 2023,

journalists Osama Sayed Ahmed and Ahmed El Buseili were shot by snipers in Khartoum, while the RSF detained two of the channel's other reporters, Ahmed Fadl and Rashid Gibril, in Khartoum on 16 May 2023, and subsequently looted Fadl's residence. During a live report on 29 April 2023,

al-Arabiya Arabiya ( ar, العربية, transliterated: '; meaning "The Arabic One" or "The Arab One") is an international Arabic news television channel, currently based in Dubai, that is operated by the media conglomerate MBC. The channel is a flag ...

correspondent Salem Mahmoud was interrupted and questioned by the RSF. On 30 June 2023, Radio Zalingei journalist Samaher Abdelshafee was killed by shelling at Hasaheisa refugee camp near Zalingei, where she and her family had fled after fighting in the city. Sudan TV photographer Esam Marajan was shot dead inside his home in the Beit El Mal neighborhood of Omdurman in the first week of August 2023. Sports photojournalist Esam El Haj was killed during clashes around the Al-Shajara garrison in Khartoum on 20 August 2023. Halima Idris Salim, a reporter for ''Sudan Bukra'' was killed on 10 October 2023 after she was reportedly struck by an RSF vehicle while covering the fighting in Omdurman. The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) reported on 10 August 2023 that 13 newspapers had ceased operations due to the conflict, while FM radio stations and channels also halted broadcasts, with journalists grappling with unpaid wages. It later reported in December 2023 that the RSF had turned the premises of the Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) into a detention center and was involved in the looting of other media outlets, including the BBC's Khartoum branch, and the sale of media equipment, including that of the SBC, in markets in Omdurman. Intermittent telecommunications and internet since the beginning of the conflict, and in particular a near total blackout in February and March 2024 severely limited reporting in and from Sudan. The RSF is reportedly selling access to Starlink to get around the blackout, which allegedly allows them to track journalists. In April 2024, the government suspended the licenses of three foreign media outlets (UAE-based Sky News Arabia, Saudi-based Al Arabiya and Al Hadath), while the editor of the now-closed ''Al-Sudani'' said that 23 local print outlets had shut down. Casualties in 2024 include Khalid Balal (a media director), who was fatally shot at his home in North Darfur on 1 March, as well as many journalists who were beaten. Harassment—including sexual harassment—and detention were also reported, including the editor-in-chief of ''al-Maidan,'' a local news outlet, who is under RSF custody as of April 2024.

Foreign casualties

Civilians, including 15 Syrians, 15 Ethiopians and 9 Eritreans have been killed across the country. An Indian national working in Khartoum died after being hit by a stray bullet on 15 April. Two Americans were killed, including a professor working in the University of Khartoum who was stabbed to death while evacuating. A two-year-old girl from Turkey was killed while her parents were injured after their house was struck by a rocket on 18 April. Two Egyptian doctors were killed in their home in Khartoum and had their possessions stolen on 13 June. Ten students from the Democratic Republic of the Congo were killed in an SAF airstrike on the

International University of Africa The International University of Africa ( ar, جامعة افريقيا العالمية) is a private university in Khartoum, Sudan. It is a member of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World. The university has faculties of Educa ...

in Khartoum on 4 June. The SAF claimed that the Egyptian assistant military attaché was killed by RSF fire while driving his car in Khartoum, which was refuted by the Egyptian ambassador. Two Greek nationals trapped in a church on 15 April sustained leg injuries when caught in crossfire while trying to leave. A Filipino migrant worker and an Indonesian student at a school in Khartoum were injured by stray bullets. On 17 April, the

European Union Ambassador Below are current ambassadors of the European Union to non-EU countries and international organizations. They are also known as delegation heads or envoys. Prior to the Treaty of Lisbon, the EU was represented abroad by the Ambassador of the co ...

to Sudan, Aidan O'Hara of Ireland, was assaulted by unidentified "armed men wearing military fatigues" in his home, he suffered minor injuries and was able to resume working on 19 April. On 23 April, a French evacuation convoy was shot at, injuring one person. The French government later confirmed the casualty to be a French soldier. An employee of the Egyptian embassy was shot and injured during an evacuation mission.

Notable deaths

Asia Abdelmajid Asia Mohammed Tom Taher Al-Katiabi, also known as Asia Abdelmajid (; 1943 – 3 May 2023), was a Sudanese theatrical actress and teacher. She was one of Sudan's first professional actors and received acclaim for her stage performances. She was ...

, an actress, was killed in a crossfire in Khartoum North. *A singer,

Shaden Gardood Shaden Muhammad al-Hassan (1986 – 12 May 2023), also known as Shaden Gardood or al-Hakama Shaden, was a Sudanese singer and peace advocate who was killed during the 2023 Sudan conflict. Biography Early life and education Shaden Muhammad ...

, was killed in a crossfire in Omdurman, as was former football player

Fozi el-Mardi Muhammad Fawzi Mahjoub Al-Mardi (1953 – 5 May 2023), also known as Fozi el-Mardi (), was a Sudanese football player, coach, and administrator. He played for Al-Hilal FC in 1971, and played 29 international matches for the Sudan national footb ...

and his daughter. *Araki Abdelrahim, a member of the music group Igd al-Jalad, was killed by the shelling of a mosque in the El-Shajara neighborhood of west Khartoum. *The governor of West Darfur,

, was abducted and killed by armed men hours after accusing the RSF of genocide and calling for international intervention in a TV interview. * Ahmed Abkar Barqo Abdel-Rahman, a former member of parliament and a

, was killed by the RSF in a raid on his house in Nyala.

Foreign involvement

Egypt

On 16 April 2023, the RSF claimed that its troops in Port Sudan were attacked by foreign aircraft and issued a warning against any foreign interference. According to former

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...

analyst Cameron Hudson, Egyptian fighter jets were a part of these bombing campaigns against the RSF, and Egyptian special forces units have been deployed and are providing intelligence and tactical support to the SAF. ''The Wall Street Journal'' said that Egypt had sent fighter jets and pilots to support the Sudanese military. On 17 April, satellite imagery obtained by ''The War Zone'' revealed that one Egyptian Air Force MiG-29M2 fighter jet had been destroyed and two others had been damaged or destroyed at Merowe Airbase. A Sudanese Air Force Guizhou JL-9 was among the destroyed aircraft. After initial confusion, the RSF accepted the explanation that Egyptian combat and support personnel were conducting exercises with the Sudanese military prior to the outbreak of hostilities.

Egyptian POWs

On 15 April, RSF forces claimed, via Twitter, to have taken Egyptian troops prisoner near Merowe, and a military plane carrying markings of the

Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all milit ...

. Initially, no official explanation was given for the Egyptian soldiers' presence, while Egypt and Sudan have had military cooperation due to diplomatic tensions with Ethiopia. Later on, the Egyptian Armed Forces stated that around 200 of its soldiers were in Sudan to conduct exercises with the Sudanese military. Around that time, the SAF reportedly encircled RSF forces in Merowe airbase. As a result, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced that it was following the situation as a precaution for the safety of its personnel. The RSF later stated that it would cooperate in repatriating the soldiers to Egypt. On 19 April, the RSF stated that it had moved the soldiers to Khartoum and would hand them over when the "appropriate opportunity" arose. One hundred and seventy-seven of the captured Egyptian troops were released and flown back to Egypt aboard three Egyptian military planes that took off from Khartoum airport later in the day. The remaining 27 soldiers, who were from the Egyptian Air Force, were sheltered at the Egyptian embassy and later evacuated.

United Arab Emirates

A report published by the ''Wall Street Journal'' on 10 August 2023 quoted Ugandan officials as saying that an Emirati plane on a stopover at Entebbe Airport en route to

Amdjarass Amdjarass or Am-Djarass ( ar, أم جرس) is the capital city of the Ennedi-Est Region in northern Chad. It is also the capital of the second level administrative division, the Am-Djarass department. It is the largest city in the region and th ...

International Airport in eastern Chad turned out upon inspection to have been carrying dozens of green plastic crates in the plane's cargo hold filled with ammunition, assault rifles and other small arms", rather than food and other aid officially listed on the aircraft's manifest supposedly meant for Sudanese refugees. Despite the discovery, the plane was allowed to take off, and the officials said they received orders from their superiors not to inspect any more planes from the UAE. Prior to this, the UAE had long been accused of supporting the RSF. The UAE Foreign Ministry subsequently denied the allegations, saying that the country "does not take sides" in the conflict. In September 2023, '' The New York Times'' reported that the UAE had set up a base in Amdjarass airport to support the RSF. Officials from the US, European and African countries claimed that the UAE was running a covert operation to back the RSF. Since June, Emirati cargo planes were identified landing in Amdjarass in Chad, where an airfield and a hospital were being used for the operation. These flights began just as Chad's president Idriss Déby secured a $1.5 billion loan agreement from the UAE. The UAE insisted its operation was purely humanitarian, but officials stated that it involved supplying powerful weapons and drones to the RSF, treating their injured fighters and airlifting serious cases to their military hospital. The relationship between UAE and the leader of the RSF reportedly dates back to 2018, when Hemedti sent combatants into southern Yemen to fight against the Houthi. SAF deputy commander Yasir El Atta also claimed that the UAE was also using

N'Djamena International Airport N'Djamena International Airport ( ar, مطار انجمينا الدولي; french: Aéroport international de N'Djaména) serves N'Djamena, the capital city of Chad. It is the country's only international airport. The airport is dual use, w ...

in Chad and another airport in the Central African Republic to deliver weapons to the RSF. Following these allegations, protests erupted in Port Sudan on 1 December demanding the expulsion of the UAE's ambassador, while al-Burhan was reported to have cancelled his participation at the

COP28 Cop or Cops commonly refers to: * Police officer Cop and other variants may also refer to: Art and entertainment Film * ''Cop'' (film), a 1988 American thriller * ''Cops'' (film), an American silent comedy short starring Buster Keaton * ''The ...

summit held in Dubai. On 10 December 2023, Sudan ordered the expulsion from the country of 15 Emirati diplomats. No reason was provided, but it came amid reports that the UAE had been providing weapons to the RSF. The day before, three Sudanese diplomats were ordered expelled from the UAE following comments made by SAF deputy commander Yasser al-Atta during which he accused the UAE of supporting the RSF and called the country a "mafia state". Sudan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed criticized the UAE in a letter to the UN Security Council. In the 78-page complaint, he claimed that the UAE planned and supported the RSF campaigns against the SAF, adding that the UAE used Chad to transport military supplies and mercenaries through its territory. The letter also urged the council to take action and push the UAE to stop supporting the RSF. In April 2024, the Sudanese government said that the UAE sent new supplies to the RSF through Cameroon and Chad. Sudan's representative to the UN, Al-Harith Idriss submitted a request for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the UAE's provision of weapons to the RSF, saying that it “makes the UAE an accomplice in all its crimes”. On 24 May 2024, a closed-door meeting was held by the UN Security Council on Sudan. However, Al-Harith Idriss criticized the meeting’s format for not addressing the UAE’s alleged aggressive acts against Sudan. He said that instead of meeting Sudan’s expectations or addressing the seriousness of the situation, the UN meeting impaired the urgency of Sudanese concerns. Meanwhile, another meeting scheduled for April 2024 to discuss Sudan’s complaint against the UAE was also postponed at the UK’s request to protect its economic interests with the Emirates. However, Mozambique’s Ambassador broadly discussed about Sudan’s grave situation, which was acknowledged by Idriss. A report in May 2024 revealed that the RSF was getting weapons from the UAE via networks in Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, and Khalifa Haftar and the Wagner Group. The RSF were carrying out their business, finance, logistics and PR operations from the Emirates. Besides, Hemedti reportedly traveled to a few African countries in an Emirati aircraft belonging to a firm of an Emirati royal and an adviser to Mohamed bin Zayed. In Sudan, the UAE is interested in its gold and is also planning to build ports along the Sudanese Red Sea coast. US Democratic Congress members of Congress lawmakers called on the UAE to stop backing the RSF, warning that a “crisis of epic proportions is brewing” in a letter to Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan that expressed “grave concern over the arms supply by the Emirates to the RSF. The UK also called on the UAE to end its support to the RSF, following which the Emirates cancelled multiple ministerial meetings with British officials. In June 2024, a BBC investigation found evidence of the involvement of Iran and the UAE in violating the UN arms embargo by providing drones in the Sudanese conflict. In March 2024, a video evidence showed that Sudanese soldiers recaptured the state broadcaster's headquarters in Khartoum with the assistance of Iranian-made drones. A drone expert, Wim Zwijnenburg also observed that an army drone shot down by the RSF in January 2024 resembled the Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drone. Evidence also revealed the use of quadcopter drones by the RSF, which

Brian Castner Brian Patrick Castner (born 1977) is an American author, journalist, former explosive ordnance disposal officer and veteran of Iraq War. He has authored four books and his writings have been published in ''The New York Times'', ''Esquire'' and '' ...

claimed belonged to the UAE. The drones are capable of dropping 120mm mortar shells, which had been supplied by the Emirates to its allies in the Yemen and Ethiopian wars. In June 2024, a 41-page document was sent to the UN Security Council alleging that UAE nationals were involved in the RSF's campaign. Photographs of four passports belonging to male UAE nationals were provided, allegedly having been recovered from a wrecked vehicle in Omdurman in February 2024.

Russia

For much of the Sudanese civil war Russia has taken a generally neutral stance, not clearly backing either the RSF or SAF. This neutral attitude began to shift during mid-2024, with the Russian government beginning to favour the SAF, concurrent with the SAF emphasising its support for the construction of a Russian naval base north of Port Sudan. This move by the SAF was calculated to exploit tensions between Russia and western powers following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, offering the Russian government an opportunity to expand its international military influence in exchange for an international ally willing to both oppose the United Arab Emirates and provide significant weaponry. The SAF had at this stage of the conflict suffered several successive defeats at the hands of the RSF, making them more eager to make concessions in order to win international support.

Wagner Group

According to CNN, Wagner supplied

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

s to the RSF, picking up the items from

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

and delivering some of them by plane to Haftar-controlled bases in Libya to be then delivered to the RSF, while dropping other items directly to RSF positions in northwestern Sudan. American officials said that Wagner was offering to supply additional weapons to the RSF from its existing stocks in the Central African Republic. On 6 September, Wagner reportedly deployed a convoy of more than 100 vehicles carrying weapons to the RSF garrison in al-Zurug from Chad. SAF Lieutenant General

Yasser al-Atta Yasser (also spelled Yaser, Yasir, or Yassir; ar, ياسر, ''Yāsir'') is an Arabic male name. Notable people with this given name * Yasir ibn Amir (died 615 C.E.) is known in the Islamic traditions as the second person in history to be martyr ...

also accused the Wagner Group of bringing in mercenaries from several African nations to fight alongside the RSF. The head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, denied supporting the RSF, saying that the company has not had a presence in Sudan for more than two years. The RSF denied allegations that Wagner Group was supporting them, instead stating that the SAF was seeking such support. As relations between the Russian government and the SAF improved during mid-2024, the latter publicly claimed that the Wagner Group was no longer operating in Sudan. This claim was contradicted by observers, but further signified the Russian government's increasing support for the SAF in spite of the Wagner Group supporting the RSF.

Other foreign actors

Chad

On 7 June 2023, Hissein Alamine Tchaw-tchaw, a Chadian dissident who belongs to the same ethnic group as Hemedti and claiming to be the leader of the Movement for the Fight of the Oppressed in Chad (MFOC), which is fighting the government of President

Mahamat Déby Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno ( ar, محمد إدريس ديبي إتنو; born 1 January 1984), also known as Mahamat Kaka, is a Chadian army general serving as the transitional List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad. He is the son of the ...

, posted a video showing his participation in an RSF attack on the Yarmouk munitions factory in Khartoum. On 17 November, the SLM-Minnawi and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) accused the Chadian government of supporting the RSF, and "supplying it with military equipment and mercenaries by opening its territory and airspace." A report from ''Africa Analyst'' alleged that Chadian soldiers belonging to a joint Chadian-Sudanese command under Osman Bahr intercepted a shipment of military equipment intended for the RSF on its way from N'Djamena and gave it instead to the JEM, which the latter denied. '' The Economist'' linked Chad's junta receiving financial support from the UAE in exchange for allowing it to support the RSF through Amdjarass airport. Following accusations by SAF deputy commander Yasser al-Atta of Chadian government support for the RSF, the Chadian government unsuccessfully demanded an apology from the Sudanese ambassador and expelled four Sudanese diplomats from the country on 17 December.

Kenya

The SAF rejected Kenya's involvement in mediation efforts to end the conflict in July after al-Burhan accused President William Ruto of having a business relationship with Hemedti and providing a haven to the RSF. In response to proposals for a peacekeeping force composed by African countries to be deployed in Sudan made in an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) committee chaired by Ruto, the SAF's Assistant Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Yasir Alatta accused Ruto of being a mercenary of another country, whom he did not identify, and dared Ruto to deploy the

Kenyan army The Kenya Army is the land arm of the Kenya Defence Forces. History The origin of the present day Kenya Army lie with the British Army's King's African Rifles. In the last quarter of the 19th Century the British began actively enforcing the aboli ...

and that of his alleged backer. On 7 September, the Sudanese government threatened to withdraw the country's membership in IGAD unless Ruto was removed as chairman of the mediation committee. In response, Kenyan Foreign Secretary Abraham Korir Sing'oei called these allegations "baseless", while the Kenyan Foreign Ministry insisted on the country's neutrality in the conflict. A hacking group calling itself '' Anonymous Sudan'' launched cyberattacks on Kenyan government and private websites in the last week of July.

Libyan National Army

The Egypt-backed

Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Ha ...

, under the command of warlord Khalifa Haftar, dispatched planes to fly military supplies to the RSF prior to the outbreak of hostilities. Haftar and the LNA collaborated with the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, to conduct these flights. That Haftar was supporting a different faction in the Sudanese civil war than the Egyptian government was commented on by '' The New Arab'', which viewed it as a sign of Egyptian weakness due to economic malaise and a reliance on Haftar to police Eastern Libya, which constitutes a security concern for the Egyptian government. ''The New Arab'' also viewed the LNA's role in the conflict as signifying a shift in its diplomatic orientation, from being primarily backed by Egypt to being primarily backed by the United Arab Emirates.

Ukraine

On 19 September 2023, CNN reported that it was "likely" that

Ukrainian special forces (''I Come At You!'') , colors = , colors_label = Color of beret , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 29 July , equipment ...

were behind a series of drone strikes and a ground operation directed against the Wagner Group-backed RSF near Khartoum on 8 September. Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence, stated in an interview on 22 September that he could neither confirm or deny Ukraine's involvement in the conflict, but said that Ukraine "will be seeking and hunting down Russian military criminals... sooner or later". On 6 November, the '' Kyiv Post'' released drone footage of what it claimed was Ukrainian special forces attacking Wagner Group personnel in an unidentified urban area in Sudan with an explosive projectile, which was believed to have been taken about two weeks before its publication. Two months later on 30 January 2024, the ''Kyiv Post'' reported that Ukrainian special forces had launched three drone strikes targeting the Wagner Group and other Russian organisations in Sudan as well as their Sudanese partners in the preceding weeks. The ''Kyiv Post'' released a report on 5 February 2024 with a video showing the aftermath of an attack allegedly by Ukrainian special forces on a Wagner Group unit which had purportedly suffered several deaths and the capture of at least one member of the unit who was seen being interrogated on camera.

Iran

In June 2024, a BBC investigation found evidence of the involvement of Iran and the UAE in violating the UN arms embargo by providing drones in the Sudanese conflict. In March 2024, a video evidence showed that Sudanese soldiers recaptured the state broadcaster's headquarters in Khartoum with the assistance of Iranian-made drones. A drone expert, Wim Zwijnenburg also observed that an army drone shot down by the RSF in January 2024 resembled an Iranian-made drone, Mohajer-6. Evidence also revealed the use of quadcopter drones by the RSF, which

claimed belonged to the UAE. The drones are capable of dropping 120mm motor shells, are had been supplied by the Emirates to its allies in the Yemen and Ethiopian wars. Despite longtime frosty relations between the Sudanese government and Iran, the Iranian government gave military and political support to the SAF. Most prominently, the Iranian government has supplied Mohajer-6 drones to the SAF, which are viewed by journalist Wim Zwijnenburg as a major tactical boon for the Armed Forces. The drones were later credited with the SAF's success in retaking the Sudanese state media company's headquarters from the RSF in March 2024. Iran's support for the SAF was viewed by analyst Jihad Mashamoun as being motivated by a desire to gain access to the Red Sea, as well as an attempt to undermine the United Arab Emirates' support for the RSF. Senior Sudanese government officials denied receiving such aid from Iran. On 10 April, Reuters reported that that Iranian-made drones had helped the army push back the RSF.

Evacuation of foreign nationals

file:أثناء عمليات إجلاء السعودية لمواطنيها ورعايا الدول الشقيقة والصديقة لها.jpg, Foreign nationals being evacuated to port of

The outbreak of violence has led foreign governments to monitor the situation in Sudan and move toward the evacuation and repatriation of their nationals. Among some countries with a number of expatriates in Sudan are Egypt, which has more than 10,000 citizens in the country, and the United States, which has more than 16,000 citizens, most of whom are

dual national Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on t ...

s. Efforts at extraction were hampered by the fighting within the capital Khartoum, particularly in and around the airport. This has forced evacuations to be undertaken by road via Port Sudan on the Red Sea, which lies about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of Khartoum. from where they were airlifted or ferried directly to their home countries or to third ones. Other evacuations were undertaken through overland border crossings or airlifts from diplomatic missions and other designated locations with direct involvement of the militaries of some home countries. Some transit hubs used during the evacuation include the port of

in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti, which hosts military bases of the United States, China, Japan, France, and other European countries.

Sanctions

United States

The repeated violations of the ceasefire agreements and other atrocities during the conflict led to U.S. President Joe Biden issuing an executive order on 4 May 2023 authorizing sanctions for those deemed responsible for destabilizing Sudan, undermining the democratic transition and committing human rights abuses. On 1 June, the US government imposed its first sanctions related to the conflict, targeting two firms associated with the SAF and two others linked to the RSF. It also imposed visa restrictions against individuals involved in the violence, but did not divulge any names. On 6 September, the US State Department and the

US Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and th ...

imposed sanctions on the RSF's deputy commander and Hemedti's brother Abdelrahim Dagalo, and

Abdel Rahman Jumma Abdel Rahman Jumma () is a Sudanese Major general, Major General in the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who hails from Ed Daein, East Darfur. He faced accusations of grave violations, including war crimes and genocide, in the Darfur region during the ...

, the RSF's top commander in West Darfur, over "extensive" human rights violations during the conflict, with Jumma in particular being accused of masterminding the assassination of the state's governor Khamis Abakar in June. On 28 September, it sanctioned former foreign minister and leader of the Sudanese Islamic Movement Ali Karti, the Sudan-based GSK Advance Company Ltd, and the Russia-based military company Aviatrade LLC, accusing Karti and other Islamist hardliners of obstructing efforts toward a ceasefire and accusing the firms of supporting the RSF. On 4 December, the State Department imposed sanctions on three former officials of the Bashir regime, namely former minister and presidential aide Taha Osman Ahmed al-Hussein and former directors of the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services Salah Abdallah Mohamed Salah aka Sala Gosh and Mohamed Etta Elmoula Abbas, citing Al-Hussein's involvement in coordinating with regional actors to support the RSF, Gosh's plotting to overthrow the civilian-led transitional government, and Elmoula's attempts to restore the Bashir regime to power. On 15 May 2024, the US imposed sanctions on the RSF's head of operations Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed and its commander in Central Darfur Ali Yagoub Gibril for their role in the fighting in North Darfur.

Other countries

On 12 July 2023, the United Kingdom announced sanctions on firms linked to the SAF and the RSF for providing funds and weapons in the conflict. On 15 April 2024, Canada imposed sanctions on two individuals and four entities linked to the SAF and the RSF. On 23 June 2024, the European Union imposed sanctions on six entities for manufacturing and procuring weapons for the SAF and the RSF.

Humanitarian impact

The humanitarian crisis following the fighting was further exacerbated by the violence occurring during a period of high temperatures, drought and its starting during the fasting month of

. Civilians were unable to venture outside of their homes to obtain food and supplies for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. A doctors' group said that hospitals remained understaffed and were running low on supplies as wounded people streamed in. The World Health Organization recorded around 26 attacks on healthcare facilities, some of which resulted in casualties among medical workers and civilians. The World Health Organization said 80% of hospitals in conflict areas were out of service with 32 forcibly evacuated by soldiers or caught in the crossfire. This included about half of Khartoum's 130 medical facilities and all hospitals in West Darfur. Outbreaks of diseases such as

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

and diarrhea were reported across the country. In April 2023, the United Nations reported that shortages of basic goods, such as food, water, medicines and fuel have become "extremely acute". The delivery of badly-needed remittances from overseas migrant workers was also halted after Western Union announced in the same month that it was closing all operations in Sudan until further notice. The World Food Programme said that more than $13 million worth of food aid destined for Sudan had been looted in the twenty days since the fighting broke out. The looting of the WFP's warehouses in El-Obeid on 1 June led to the loss of food aid meant to feed 4.4 million people. An estimated 25 million people, equivalent to more than half of Sudan's population, were said to be in need of aid in June 2023. On 25 July, Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami said attacks on humanitarian facilities had led to more than 50 warehouses looted, 82 offices ransacked, and over 200 vehicles stolen. In September 2023, the

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disast ...

said that 1,200 children had died from disease outbreaks in refugee camps in

since May. In Central Darfur, the head of the Hamidiya refugee camp said at least 43 children had died in the camp since July. UNICEF also estimated that the conflict had led to the number of children being out of school in Sudan to rise from seven million prior to the fighting to 19 million in October 2023. By 2024, the war's economic costs had surpassed all prior armed conflicts since Sudanese independence in 1956 due to extensive destruction of infrastructure, particularly in urban areas such as the capital city of Khartoum. The World Food Programme released a report on 22 February 2024 saying that more than 95% of Sudan's population could not afford a meal a day. The dramatic decrease in agricultural activity ("cereal production in 2023 was nearly halved") caused increases in food prices, and the conflict led to infrequent aid convoys. According to an army official cited by ''Al Jazeera,'' as of 29 March 2024 "70 aid trucks have been stuck in North Kordofan since October". The UN estimated that 25 million people still needed aid, with 5 million facing

famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...

and 18 million enduring "acute food insecurity". Mobile networks being cut for nearly two months compounded the problems for those being helped by remittances from relatives abroad. According to the United Nations, both the SAF and RSF are posing obstacles to food aid because they want to prevent food from getting to areas controlled by the other.

Refugees

As of July 2024, nearly 10 million residents of Sudan have been displaced due to the fighting. The United Nations said that the conflict had produced more than 7.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), while more than 2.1 million had fled the country altogether as of June 2024. This has made Sudan the largest host of IDPs globally. The International Organization for Migration estimated that around 36% of IDPs had come from the Khartoum region. In November, the UN said the conflict had created the largest child displacement crisis in the world, affecting three million children. Of those who fled abroad, more than 160,000 of them were

who fled to Chad to escape ethnically based attacks by the RSF and allied militias. Fighting between the SAF and the SPLM-N (al-Hilu) had reportedly displaced more than 35,000 people in Blue Nile State alone, with 3,000 of them fleeing to Ethiopia, while more than 83,000 were displaced in South Kordofan. As of August, more than 400,000 people had fled to Chad, making it the largest single destination of refugees from the conflict, while others fled to other neighboring countries such as the Central African Republic, Egypt, and South Sudan. Criticism was levelled at diplomatic missions operating in Sudan for their slow response in helping Sudanese visa applicants whose passports were left behind in embassies following their closure during evacuation efforts, preventing them from leaving the country.

Economic impact

The UN estimated that economic activity in Sudan fell by more than a third during the first three weeks of the conflict. In July, Sudanese economists estimated the total amount of damage brought by the conflict at $9 billion, or an average of $100 million per day, while the value of property and goods looted was estimated at another $40 billion, with the most affected areas being Khartoum and South Darfur. The exchange rate of the US dollar against the Sudanese pound in the black market rose to SDG730 in September, while it reached SDG625 at the official rate. This later reached SDG1250 in February 2024. The formal economy was described as being in a "near standstill". Gold production was also reduced to just 2 tons from the previous year's output of 18 tons. Sudanese minister for minerals Mohamed Bashir Abu Nammu accused the RSF of looting around 15 tons of silver and 1,273 kilograms of gold from the Sudan Gold Refinery at the start of the conflict. In February 2024, finance minister Gibril Ibrahim said that the Sudanese economy had contracted by 40 percent in 2023 due to the fighting, with an additional decline of 28 percent expected in 2024. He added that state revenues had also decreased by 80 percent. Sudanese port authorities estimated that international trade had fallen by 23 percent in 2023. The Sudanese finance ministry was unable to set a national budget for 2023 or 2024 and stopped issuing quarterly reports. It also raised the exchange rate for imports and exports from SDG650 to SDG950. The fighting also rendered more than 60 percent of Sudan's agricultural land out of service, according to Fikra for Studies and Development. In May 2024, ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that both the RSF and SAF were using revenue from the sale of gum arabic, which is primarily grown in Sudan, to finance their operations.

War crimes investigations

Both the SAF and the RSF are accused of committing war crimes. The RSF in particular have been denounced by Human Rights Watch and numerous governments for committing

crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...

. On 13 July 2023, the office of the International Criminal Court's Chief Prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan said that it had launched investigations into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the course of the 2023 conflict, within the context of its Darfur investigation, which started in 2005 based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1593. In his report to the UNSC on 29 January 2024, he expressed that there are "reasonable grounds to believe" that crimes outlined in the " Rome Statute" were taking place in Darfur. On 5 September, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide

Alice Wairimu Nderitu Alice Wairimu Nderitu is the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres. Early life and education Nderitu holds a master's degree in armed conflict and peace studies (2013) an ...

acknowledged that the conflict and related abuses had "strong identity-based components." In an interview with the BBC, Burhan said that he would cooperate with the ICC to bring those responsible to justice. On 3 August 2023,

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

released its report on the conflict. Titled ''Death Came To Our Home: War Crimes and Civilian Suffering In Sudan'', it documented "mass civilian casualties in both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks" by both the SAF and the RSF, particularly in Khartoum and West Darfur. It also detailed sexual violence against women and girls as young as 12, targeted attacks on civilian facilities such as hospitals and churches, and looting. On 6 September 2023, the US State Department and the

imposed sanctions on the RSF's deputy commander and Hemedti's brother Abdelrahim Dagalo, and

in June. Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State, accused the RSF of ethnic cleansing in December 2023. In September 2023, the United States, Britain, Norway, and Germany planned to propose a motion to the UN Human Rights Council for an investigation into the alleged atrocities in Sudan. The draft motion, which condemns the human rights violations during the conflict, aimed to establish a three-person Fact Finding Mission to investigate these allegations. The experts would document the violations and provide updates to the 47-member Council. The draft has been circulated among member countries but has not yet been formally submitted to the Council. On 11 October, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted 19–16 with 12 abstentions to adopt a resolution creating a fact-finding committee on crimes and violations in Sudan since the start of the conflict. Early March 2024, the UN Panel of Experts on Sudan, mandated by Resolution 2620 (2022) of the UN Security Council, published their latest report. It described the wide-ranging devastation and violence in the country, caused in many cases by the RSF and associated militias. With regard to war crimes in West Darfur, the report estimated the death rate through

of the

community in El Geneina between 10,000 and 15,000. In her speech before the Security Council Committee, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Representative to the United Nations, commented: "It is my hope that the sobering report will at long last shake the world from its indifference to the horrors playing out before our eyes." In April 2024, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights released a report into breaches of the Genocide Convention in Darfur.The independent report found that there is "clear and convincing evidence" that the RSF and its allied militias "have committed and are committing genocide against the

," a non-Arab ethnic group, and that all 153 states that have signed the Genocide Convention are "obligated to end complicity in and employ all means reasonably available to prevent and halt the genocide." It goes on to say that there is "clear and convincing evidence" that Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Russia via the actions of the Wagner Group are "complicit in the genocide."

Disinformation

During the conflict, many instances of disinformation were observed, which aimed to manipulate public opinion, spread false narratives, and create confusion. Both the SAF and the RSF engaged in disinformation campaigns on social media platforms. The RSF heavily relied on tweets and inauthentic behavior to spread its agenda and influence local and international opinions. The SAF used Twitter to refute RSF claims and boost army morale with false victory claims. The RSF had dedicated teams based in Khartoum and Dubai to engage in a digital propaganda war. They used social media, including officially verified Facebook and Twitter accounts, to showcase their activities and spread disinformation. Various misleading videos were shared on social media platforms, falsely depicting scenes of violence in the ongoing fighting between the SAF and the RSF. Some videos were taken from other conflicts or events, misattributed to the current crisis in Sudan. Some viral images on social media were unrelated or misleadingly attributed to the ongoing fighting in Sudan.

Examples

On 14 April, the official SAF social media page published a video which it said was of operations carried out by the Sudanese Air Force against the RSF. Al Jazeera's monitoring and verification unit claimed the video had been fabricated using footage from the video game '' Arma 3'' that was published on TikTok in March 2023. The unit claimed the video showing Sudanese army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan inspecting the Armoured Corps, in

Al-Shajara Al-Shajara ( ar, الشجرة) was a Palestinian Arab village depopulated by Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War when its residents were forcefully evacutaed and became refugees. It was located 14 kilometers west of Tiberias on the main highw ...

, was from before the fighting. A video reportedly of helicopters flying over Khartoum to participate in operations by the SAF against the RSF, which circulated on social media, turned out to be from November 2022. Two photos circulated on social media that depicted a burning bridge reported as Bahri bridge and a bombed building allegedly in Khartoum, were both revealed to be from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In April, a video supposedly showing the RSF in control of

Khartoum International Airport Khartoum International Airport (Arabic:مطار الخرطوم الدولي) is the principal airport in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. The current airport will be replaced by the New Khartoum International Airport in Omdourman 40 kilom ...

on 15 April circulated on social media. The fact-checking website

Lead Stories This list of fact-checking websites includes websites that provide fact-checking services about both political and non-political subjects. The Reporters' Lab at Duke University maintains a database of fact-checking organizations that is manage ...

found that the video had appeared online 3 months prior to the conflict. A video posted in June and taken by an RSF soldier showing purported victims of the Bashir regime turned out to have been that of mummies and human remains used as props from the M. Bolheim Bioarchaeology Laboratory in Khartoum, which were thought to date from 3300 to 3000 BCE. On 5 May, the British newspaper ''I'' reported that the RSF had sent "special bulletins" to UK politicians, which it claimed were to combat "the disproportionate amount of disinformation" about the conflict. The bulletins were created with the assistance of Capital Tap Holdings, a Dubai-based investment firm which has mining interests in Sudan. The ''I'' reported that the RSF's Facebook page was being run jointly from UAE and Sudan, and its

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

account appeared to be based in Saudi Arabia, with the RSF saying its media team was based in Khartoum. In June, a picture of

hospitalised in Nairobi, Kenya, was circulated in the social media and reported by the Turkish Anadolu Agency. News websites Fatabyyano and Juhainah checked the images and found it to be fabricated with the original image which belonged to Elijah McClain, who was killed in the United States in 2019. Also in June, dominant social media account holders supporting the SAF attacked the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, accusing the organization of being partial toward the RSF and collaborating with the so-called "Janjaweed" militia. These false accusations endangered the reputation and safety of the medical professionals. Footage of an SAF warplane reportedly shot down by the RSF in Khartoum on 20 September was found to be that of an

Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' (russian: Грач (''rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Gro ...

fighter jet that crashed in Mali, while a video showing an

warplane reportedly shot down by the RSF while on a mission in northern Sudan was found to be that of a Libyan aircraft taken outside Sudan in 2020.

Responses

On 11 August, Facebook shut down the main pages of the RSF due to a violation of its policy, "Dangerous Organizations and Individuals". In an alternate account, the RSF accused the SAF of lodging complaints based on false reports that led to the removal of its pages and said it was in contact with Facebook's parent company

Meta Platforms Meta Platforms, Inc., (file no. 3835815) trade name, doing business as Meta and formerly named Facebook, Inc., and TheFacebook, Inc., is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. The company owns Facebo ...

to restore them. Kyle Walter of

Logically Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both Mathematical logic, formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of Validity (logic), deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating h ...

, a British disinformation analysis firm, said in May: "What's most concerning from this latest example of potential foreign interference is that it provides a look into how the nature of these threats are evolving, particularly in the context of the rapid onset of generative AI being used to create fake images and text. Although we don't know if this so-called sophisticated 'special bulletin' was created by this technology, it is symbolic of the wider issue at hand: an inability to trust what you're seeing, reading, and the undermining of the entire information landscape."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sudan, 2023-present 2020s conflicts 2020s in Sudan

2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...

Coup-based civil wars War

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