Sudan Civil War
Delta badges show 30-day net PF movement
Sudan formally bifurcated: SAF holds east/center, RSF's Tasis rival government controls Darfur/Kordofan
Genocide-level atrocities documented; regional spillover via Chad border strikes and Libya arms pipeline widening the conflict
Escalation Trace
Sudan formally bifurcated: SAF holds east/center
Theater
Focus Region
Africa
Geo-Linked Events
6
The Janjaweed, Arab militias backed by President Omar al-Bashir's government, carried out a genocidal campaign in Darfur that killed over 300,000 people and displaced millions, laying the groundwork for the RSF's later formation.
Bashir formally institutionalized the Janjaweed as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti"), creating a parallel military that would grow wealthy through control of Sudan's gold mines.
A popular uprising toppled Bashir after 30 years in power, and a fragile power-sharing transitional government was established between civilian leaders and the military, including both SAF General al-Burhan and Hemedti.
SAF General al-Burhan led a military coup in October, dissolving the transitional government and leaving the SAF and RSF jointly in control, while negotiations over merging the RSF into the national army stalled and tensions mounted.
Disputes over the terms and timeline of RSF integration into the SAF erupted into open warfare in April, with fighting breaking out simultaneously in Khartoum and Darfur and rapidly spreading across the country.
The RSF seized large swaths of Khartoum and established dominance over Darfur, controlling roughly 25% of Sudanese territory while committing mass atrocities against civilians, particularly targeting non-Arab communities in Darfur.
The UN declared Sudan home to the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 10 million people internally displaced and famine conditions emerging across multiple states as both sides blockaded humanitarian aid.
The SAF launched a major offensive and recaptured Khartoum in March, marking the most significant territorial shift of the war, though the RSF retained control of Darfur and fighting continued nationwide.
PRO-RSF
UAE-RSF relationship is most consequential external involvement. RSF (formerly Janjaweed militia) expanded via UAE funding to become near-peer military force. Libya's LNA serves as RSF land bridge for weapons from UAE/Gulf. Ethiopia and Eritrea have peripheral involvement. Regional powers using Sudan as arena for Sahel influence competition.
UN arms embargo violated by multiple regional actors. Overlooked globally despite scale — overshadowed by Ukraine and Gaza. Famine confirmed — one of only two countries in world with confirmed famine conditions.
Ukraine Establishes Covert Military Foothold in Western Libya
Reporting indicates Ukraine has deployed personnel to western Libya in coordination with the Tripoli-based government, gaining access to bases in Misrata and near Mellitah for drone operations.
RSF Drone Strike on Al-Jabalain Hospital, White Nile Province
The RSF launched two drone strikes on Al-Jabalain Hospital in White Nile province, destroying an operating theatre and maternity ward, killing 10 people including seven medical staff and wounding 19.
MSF Documents Systematic RSF Sexual Violence Campaign in Darfur
MSF released a comprehensive report documenting widespread and systematic sexual violence by RSF and allied militias across North and South Darfur, with 3,396 survivors treated in MSF facilities between January 2024 and November 2025.
RSF Establishes Sudan Founding Alliance Rival Government in Darfur
The RSF established the Sudan Founding Alliance (Tasis) government in July 2025, based in Nyala, South Darfur, claiming to represent all Sudanese peoples and directly challenging the SAF-backed Transitional Sovereignty Council in Khartoum.
MSF Documents Systematic RSF Sexual Violence in Darfur
MSF released its most comprehensive report on sexual violence in Sudan's civil war, documenting 3,396 cases across North and South Darfur from January 2024 to November 2025.
RSF-SPLM-N Joint Shelling of Dilling, South Kordofan
RSF paramilitaries and allied SPLM-N forces conducted a sustained artillery bombardment of residential areas in Dilling, capital of South Kordofan, killing at least 14 civilians including five children and wounding 23 more. The Sudanese Armed Forces claimed to have repelled the attack.
UN Panel Documents Haftar Family Capture of Libya's Oil Sector and RSF Arms Pipeline
A leaked UN Panel of Experts report details how Saddam Haftar and affiliated armed groups have constructed a shadow decision-making structure inside Libya's National Oil Corporation, diverting over $3bn in oil revenues to offshore accounts via the private company Arkenu.
Deadly Drone Strike on Tiné Escalates Sudan-Chad Border Crisis
A drone strike killed 20 civilians in Tiné, a Chadian border town, marking the fourth and most lethal cross-border incident originating from Sudan. No actor has claimed responsibility, with both the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF denying involvement.
RSF Artillery Strike on Dilling City, South Kordofan
RSF paramilitary forces, operating alongside SPLM-N, conducted heavy artillery shelling on residential areas of Dilling city for two consecutive days. At least 14 civilians were killed and 23 wounded, with children comprising a significant share of casualties.
Sudan Redirects Gold Exports Away from UAE Following Diplomatic Break
Following Sudan's formal severance of ties with the UAE in May 2024, gold exports to Abu Dhabi fell from 22.2 to 8.2 metric tons in 2025, with the UAE's share of total Sudanese gold exports dropping from 99% to 56%.
Sudan Civil War: RSF-SAF De Facto Partition Solidifies
Sudan's April 2023 war outbreak, triggered by a dispute over Merowe air base, has evolved into a structural partition between SAF-controlled central and eastern Sudan and RSF-controlled Darfur and the west.