Key facts
- The Sudan Civil War is a civil war 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 one of the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.
- 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 2026-06-21.
- ‘Stop this madness’: Rights chief warns of impending atrocities as militia closes in on El Obeid, Sudan2026-06-18 — UN News
- Canadian sniper rifles openly flaunted in Yemen, Sudan, Libya — despite arms sanctions2026-06-19 — CBC
- At least 29 countries raise alarm about atrocities in Sudan’s el-Obeid2026-06-18 — Al Jazeera
- Rights group accuses UAE of being transit point for mercenaries on way to Sudan2026-05-26 — BBC
- Poverty, racism and forced disappearances: why Sudanese war refugees are leaving Egypt for Europe2026-05-26 — The Guardian
- Iran war poses new threat to harvests in hunger-stricken Sudan2026-05-25 — Reuters
- UAE accused of training Colombian mercenaries for Sudan’s war2026-05-25 — AP News
- Drones turn Sudan’s ‘forgotten’ war into a relentless civilian killing field2026-05-24 — Los Angeles Times
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 one of the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.
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.