Sudan’s national military under civilian-influence debates and regional crisis
Humanitarian and rights groups have documented mass killings, sexual violence and widespread displacement across RSF-held western Sudan. UNICEF has reported rising malnutrition, cholera risk and gender-based violence around El-Obeid and North Kordofan, while Sudan’s National Commission for Human Rights and UN probes have recorded mass graves, detention of thousands and nearly 4,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in Darfur.
Fighting around El Obeid, North Kordofan, has intensified, with civilians fleeing and humanitarian access tightening. International aid is strained as funding gaps persist, while the UN calls for protection of civilians and sustained aid delivery. Warnings grow over deteriorating health services and rising malnutrition.
Across Sudan, fighting remains fierce as clashes persist and civilians confront the breakdown of essential services. Reports highlight displaced families, sexual violence in conflict zones, and the surge in birth registrations becoming nearly impossible in some areas, underscoring the humanitarian catastrophe.
Sudan’s army chief has announced a broad national dialogue to rebuild political institutions and set a civilian transition. Preparations involve diverse groups, while the RSF is excluded. Consultations aim to end the war, define the state’s future, and set terms for a transitional period. International actors seek a monitored process.
The RSF and allied SPLM-N forces have captured Kurmuk as government troops withdraw, with drones and artillery driving heavy fighting across Blue Nile. The army recaptures, secures supply routes, and reports drones targeting Khartoum and other cities as civilians flee.
Sudan's army-backed authorities are promoting a national dialogue while critics demand a ceasefire and addressing root causes. The AU and regional actors are intensifying mediation efforts, with civilians calling for guarantees, justice, and inclusive participation. The landscape remains fragmented as fighting continues.
Sudan’s humanitarian crisis has worsened as conflict, infrastructure damage, and flooding cut vital services. IOM reports rising displacement, attacks on healthcare, and strained water, electricity and transport networks across Khartoum, El Obeid and other regions. Efforts to deliver aid are hampered by logistics and security risks, with millions in need of assistance.
The army has begun absorbing RSF defectors after a wave of defections, with more fighters crossing from Darfur and Kordofan. Security checks and swearing-in are underway, as authorities vet defectors amid ongoing fighting and accusations of war crimes.
The United States proposes expanding the UN arms embargo to cover all of Sudan and drone-related technology, while the Security Council weighs tougher measures amid intensifying drone strikes and external support. Darfur remains a flashpoint as the embargo’s future hinges on a veto-wielding Security Council.
The Kordofan region faces a worsening humanitarian impact as fighting disrupts trade and access to food. Refugee and aid agencies report rising prices, dwindling incomes, and growing hardship for residents, with El Obeid at the center of displacement and economic strain.
The World Food Programme has condemned drone strikes on aid convoys in Sudan, destroying more than 50 tonnes of food and disrupting relief for thousands. The strikes have damaged logistics, endangering lifesaving aid to tens of thousands as fighting continues. UN agencies warn that civilian harm is escalating while calls for protection and accountability persist.
The Quintet envoys have met Sudanese leaders and civil society in Khartoum to discuss de‑escalation and a negotiated ceasefire. Officials say dialogue remains the pathway to sustainable peace, with focus on detainee exchanges, civilian protection, and a unified national process.
A broad drought and disrupted harvests threaten millions in Sudan, with aid groups warning of rising malnutrition and possible famine. Supplies remain constrained as conflict, rising prices, and limited humanitarian access amplify hunger across Darfur and neighboring regions.
The war in Sudan continues to devastate civilians as donor funding shrinks. USAID-funded programs have ended or run out of funds, forcing clinics to close and patients to travel longer distances for care. International aid globally fell in 2025, and MSF warns that without increased support, more patients will face late, life-threatening treatment.
Aid agencies warn that displacement and hunger in Sudan have surged. More than 11 million people are displaced or refugees, with eastern Chad hosting thousands crossing the border as fighting continues. Funding shortfalls threaten relief efforts as conditions deteriorate for those fleeing to safety.
Qatar’s prime minister has pledged more than $38 billion in infrastructure spending and urged a regional security framework, warning that the Middle East conflict is reshaping global energy and shipping routes while mediation efforts continue in Washington.
Sudan faces renewed international pressure as talks on ending the civil war show shifting positions. Sudanese authorities advocate a Sudanese-led path, with external support framed as monitoring rather than directing the process. Diplomatic tensions surface over visa access to UN events and ceasefire strategies, with attention turning to security reform and civilian protection.
The Sudanese conflict between the SAF and RSF has intensified, with drones and shelling shaping frontline towns. International pressure grows as the US pushes for a 90‑day humanitarian truce and a civilian-led path to peace, while aid agencies warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations World Food Programme has condemned an aerial attack on two trucks carrying humanitarian food in South Kordofan, killing one driver. The vehicles were clearly marked as aid transport. WFP is urging a prompt, impartial investigation and accountability for those responsible, while highlighting the deteriorating security environment for aid workers in Sudan.
Reports from All Africa detail drone strikes hitting shelters and civilian targets in Blue Nile, North Kordofan, and West Kordofan. Casualties include children and women; hundreds displaced as fighting between the SAF and RSF intensifies across Kordofan and Blue Nile, triggering humanitarian concerns.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warns that famine risk is increasing in parts of Sudan where conflict and El Niño drought are intensifying food insecurity. Acute malnutrition is rising in Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan, with aid access hampered by insecurity and funding shortfalls. By 8 October, less than half of the humanitarian appeal had been funded.
The conflict between Sudan's SAF and RSF has intensified in North Kordofan and Blue Nile, displacing thousands as humanitarian needs rise. An arms embargo extension for Darfur underscores a fragile international response amid a broader, worsening humanitarian crisis affecting millions across the country.
Since Friday, drone strikes have killed more than 160 people across western Sudan and in disputed Abyei, including at least 50–80 civilians in West Kordofan and an attack on Amiet Market near Abyei that has left scores dead and dozens wounded. Authorities and aid groups have blamed both the Sudanese military and the paramilitary RSF; the UN has warned of rising civilian harm.
A joint international statement warns of worsening hunger in Sudan and Afghanistan. Sudan’s conflict and drought, compounded by El Niño, have left millions at risk of famine. In Afghanistan, more than 19 million people face food insecurity this winter, with children at high risk of malnutrition unless aid increases.
The UN envoy for Sudan has facilitated talks in Geneva focusing on prisoner exchanges, education exams, and a pathway to a ceasefire. The Quad states and regional partners are coordinating efforts to end the fighting, allow humanitarian aid, and lay groundwork for a civilian-led transition. Delegates call for de-escalation and a Sudanese-led dialogue as the conflict continues.
Drones attributed to the SAF and RSF have repeatedly struck civilians, markets, hospitals and displacement sites in Sudan, driving mass displacement and deepening a humanitarian crisis. The UN rights office has documented dozens of deaths and numerous injuries in October as fighting intensifies and the war economy sustains itself.
The UK has imposed travel bans and asset freezes on senior commanders from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces for sexual violence, torture and attacks on civilians during the fall of el-Fasher a year ago. London has pledged a315 million for survivor support and humanitarian aid after UK-funded reporting documented mass rape and starvation.