The Sudan Civil War
A neutral, source-attributed briefing on Sudan's civil war — the SAF–RSF conflict driving one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
Open the live conflict map → Common questionsLast updated: 2026-08-06 · Evergreen briefing — the live map and the headlines below carry the latest developments.
Key locations: Sudan Civil War
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Khartoumcity15.5007, 32.5599
Sudan's capital, the site of the war's opening battles in April 2023 and heavily damaged before its recapture from the Rapid Support Forces.
Control: Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-07-29
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Omdurmancity15.6445, 32.4777
Khartoum's twin city across the Nile, retaken from Rapid Support Forces in early 2025 fighting.
Control: Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-07-29
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El Fashercity13.6289, 25.3492
Capital of North Darfur and the army's last major stronghold in the region until it fell after an eighteen-month siege on October 27, 2025.
Control: Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-07-29
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Port Sudanport19.6158, 37.2164
Red Sea port city that has functioned as the wartime seat of Sudan's government and its main gateway for humanitarian and commercial shipping.
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El Obeidcity13.1889, 30.2176
North Kordofan capital with rail links to Khartoum, held after the army broke a Rapid Support Forces siege in February 2025.
Control: Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-07-29
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Nyalacity12.0500, 24.8833
Largest city in South Darfur and a commercial hub for the wider Darfur region.
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El Geneinacity13.4523, 22.4453
Capital of West Darfur, near the Chad border, the site of mass ethnically targeted killings documented early in the war.
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Kaduglicity11.0167, 29.7167
Capital of South Kordofan, a state that has seen fighting spread as the conflict's east-west front line hardens.
Key facts
- The Sudan Civil War is a conflict in Northeast Africa, currently Active (High intensity).
- The Sudan civil war is a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted into open warfare in April 2023. It has produced the world's largest displacement crisis, with the UN reporting roughly 14 million people forced to flee.
- Key actors: Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Allied militias and regional actors.
- What's at stake: Humanitarian catastrophe, Regional stability, Civilian protection.
Latest developments
The headlines below are pulled automatically from Google News (the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and link to primary reporting. They are updated periodically; last refreshed 2026-08-06.
- Sudan army drone strike on court session kills 35, rights group says2026-08-03 — BBC
- Clashes in Ethiopia along borders with Sudan, Eritrea stoke worry of larger regional war2026-08-03 — مدى مصر
- Red Cross urges international aid as Sudan crisis deepens2026-08-04 — Al Jazeera
- U.S. senators urge Rubio to stop arms sales to UAE over Sudan war2026-08-04 — Sudan Tribune
- Child soldiers recount horrors of Sudan’s war and presence of Colombian mercenaries2026-08-03 — latimes.com
- Hundreds flee Ethiopia to war-torn Sudan, following new fighting in Tigray2026-08-03 — RFI
- Why genocide keeps repeating in Sudan2026-08-03 — Al Jazeera
- EXCLUSIVE: Boeings identified in Reuters report carried weapons for Sudanese paramilitary, UN experts find2026-07-28 — Reuters
Overview
The Sudan civil war is a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted into open warfare in April 2023. It has produced the world's largest displacement crisis, with the UN reporting roughly 14 million people forced to flee.
By mid-2026 the war had settled into a broad stalemate: the SAF holds Khartoum (retaken in 2025) and much of the centre and east, while the RSF controls most of Darfur — including El Fasher, captured in October 2025 — and parts of Kordofan. The IPC has confirmed famine (Phase 5) in El Fasher and Kadugli; reported death-toll estimates range widely (ACLED has recorded 58,000+ fatalities; broader estimates run higher).
This page is an evergreen orientation. Territorial control and humanitarian figures change continually — confirm the latest figures with the primary sources listed below.
Key actors
- Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) — the national military.
- Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — the paramilitary force opposing the SAF.
- Allied militias and regional actors — groups and external states with stakes in the outcome.
- Civilian population — communities facing displacement, famine risk, and atrocities, notably in Darfur.
What's at stake
- Humanitarian catastrophe: mass displacement and acute food insecurity across the country.
- Regional stability: spillover risks for Chad, South Sudan, and the wider Sahel and Horn of Africa.
- Civilian protection: reports of atrocities, especially in Darfur.
- State continuity: control of institutions, resources, and territory.
Sudan Civil War explained: the key dynamics
The SAF–RSF power struggle
The war is a contest between two former partners in government: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under the army leadership and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both seek control of the state, its institutions, and its resources, and neither has been able to win outright.
Darfur and atrocity warnings
The Darfur region has seen some of the war's worst violence, with repeated warnings of ethnically targeted killings and crimes against civilians. The fighting has revived patterns from earlier Darfur conflicts.
The world's largest displacement crisis
The war has uprooted millions internally and across borders into Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and beyond, while pushing parts of the country toward famine. Humanitarian access is severely constrained.
Timeline: how the sudan civil war unfolded
- 2019 — Long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir is ousted; a fragile civilian–military transition begins.
- 2021 — A coup derails the transition, concentrating power in the military and the RSF.
- Apr 2023 — Tensions between the SAF and RSF erupt into open warfare in Khartoum and Darfur.
- 2024–26 — Fighting spreads nationwide, producing mass displacement, famine risk, and atrocity warnings.
How this conflict is mapped and tracked
Sudan is a severe reporting-gap conflict: communications blackouts and restricted access mean events are often documented with a lag and incompletely. ACLED records what can be verified, UCDP tracks the conflict dyads, and humanitarian agencies estimate displacement and famine risk. Figures here are conservative estimates and likely understate the true toll.
For how these datasets differ, see ACLED vs UCDP vs CFR and our guide to conflict-tracking tools.
How it fits the global picture
This is one of 29 active armed conflict theaters tracked on the Global Armed Conflicts Map. Explore related and concurrent conflicts:
Frequently asked questions
Is Sudan still at war in 2026?
Sudan's civil war is tracked as an active, high-intensity armed conflict between the SAF and the RSF. Confirm the current status with primary sources such as ACLED, UCDP, and the CFR Global Conflict Tracker.
Who is fighting in the Sudan civil war?
The two principal parties are the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), alongside allied militias and external backers.
How can I follow it live?
Use the interactive conflict map to see the Sudan theater alongside 28 other active conflicts, filter by intensity and region, and open intelligence briefings for each.
Why is the Sudan war underreported?
Communications blackouts, restricted humanitarian and press access, and the collapse of local infrastructure make verification difficult, so events are frequently documented late or not at all.
What is the RSF in Sudan?
The Rapid Support Forces are a paramilitary group that grew out of earlier Darfur militias and became a powerful parallel force to the regular army before the two turned on each other in 2023.
Source provenance
- Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker 8 days · as of 2026-07-29
- News feed 0 days · as of 2026-08-06
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-06 | Headlines refreshed | News feed |
| 2026-07-29 | Khartoum control updated | Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker |
| 2026-07-29 | Omdurman control updated | Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker |
| 2026-07-29 | El Fasher control updated | Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker |
| 2026-07-29 | El Obeid control updated | Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker |