Sudan: Sudan War - a Conflict Sustained By Weapons, Fragmentation, and Diplomatic Inertia

What the report says

The United Nations is warning that Sudan’s war is becoming more difficult to contain as the conflict stretches across multiple fronts and draws in a wider mix of armed groups and outside interests. In a briefing to the Security Council on Monday, August 24, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said the fighting has become more dispersed and more technologically advanced, with drones playing a major role.

According to the report published by Dabanga and distributed by AllAfrica, the war has caused severe civilian harm. The article says about 13 million Sudanese have fled their homes, including 8.7 million displaced inside the country. It also cites UN documentation of roughly 1,400 civilian deaths between January and June this year, most linked to drone strikes, while noting that the broader death toll may be far higher. DiCarlo described repeated abuses including mass killings, abductions and sexual violence.

The fighting now spans areas including North Kordofan, West Darfur, North Darfur and Blue Nile, with combat also affecting locations near the borders with Chad and Ethiopia. The article says the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces continue to receive support that helps sustain the war, while local militias and other armed movements further fragment the battlefield. Diplomacy has continued through the UN and partners including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the African Union and IGAD, but the warring sides remain far from compromise.