Sudan Country Profile

Map of Sudan

Sudan is the third largest country in Africa with over 45 million people. Seven other countries border Sudan. It has a lot of natural resources, the Nile River runs through the country, and it has a coastline on the Red Sea. The country is rich in mineral resources.

The country of Sudan has been a conflict area for decades. 2023 is no exception, with the beginning of 2023 seeing a battle between two completing generals and their armies.

Conflict in Sudan

One month before the military government was to transition to civilian rule a conflict broke out between two generals - each attempting to take control of the entire country. As of late April the country was in turmoil and hundreds of people had been killed.

By mid-2025, two years later after the break-out of civil war, the conflict was still raging. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is increasing its use of drones and combatants from foreign countries. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is continuing its covert support by supplying military equipment with frequent flights via Libya. The conflict appears to be at a standstill with the RSF not taking much ground and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) losing ground in western Sudan but gaining ground in and around the capital city - Khartoum. 1.

References

CIA, Sudan Country Summary, The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sudan/summaries

CRS, Sudan, Congressional Research Service "In Focus", August 21, 2019, PDF, 3 pages.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10182/20

CRS, Sudan's Uncertain Transition, Congressional Research Service, July 17, 2019, PDF, 16 pages.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45794

DoS, Sudan. U.S. Department of State.
https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/sudan/

Maps

Maps of Sudan, Central Intelligence Agency
https://www.cia.gov/resources/map/sudan/

News Reports and Articles

July 30, 2025, "The falcons and the secretary bird: Arab Gulf states in Sudan's war", by Jonas Horner, European Council on Foreign Affairs. This long article describes the support the different Arab Gulf states provide to the RSF and SAF in the current Sudan civil war and the reasons for their support. https://ecfr.eu/publication/the-falcons-and-the-secretary-bird-arab-gulf-states-in-sudans-war/

July 8, 2025. Robert S. Burrell provides an update on the conflict in Sudan between the RSF and SAF. He describes how the war came about, what has transpired in the past two years, and where the conflict is headed. "Inside the Flames - Two Years of Civil War in Sudan", Small Wars Journal.

June 18, 2025. The UAE's involvement in the Sudan conflict is highlighted in the article by Mustafa Fetouri. "Genocide, Ghost Wars and Gold: How the Genocide Convention Loophole Helps Fracture Sudan", Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.

February 27, 2025, Jonas Horner provides background on the Sudan conflict and provides the argument that the European Union should undertake a higher profile engagement in the Sudan conflict to prevent futher fragmentation of the country. "Spit decision: Why Sudan is on the brink of partition - again", European Council on Foreign Affairs. https://ecfr.eu/publication/split-decision-why-sudan-is-on-the-brink-of-partition-again/

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