Destruction and violence in Sudan

What is the conflict in Sudan about?

The conflict between the SAF and the RSF started in Khartoum in the early hours of 15 April 15 2023. Khartoum is the capital of Sudan and has been a major battleground since the start of the armed conflict. However, it did not take long for the battle to quickly spread across the country, into areas like Darfur, North Kordofan and Gezira state.

The fighting in Khartoum followed months of tensions between the RSF and the SAF. The RSF is an independent paramilitary force, and up until the current conflict, fought on behalf of the Sudanese government and alongside SAF. In fact, the RSF has its roots in the notorious Janjaweed militia founded by former Sudanese President Bashir, over 20 years ago to squash rebellions in Darfur. Since then, the Janjaweed and RSF, allied with SAF, have carried out campaigns of ethnic violence against Darfuri communities. 

After Bashir was deposed as President in 2019, Sudan began a journey of reforms as it transitioned to a new government. This included reforms that impact SAF and RSF operations, sparking tension between the two factions that finally reached a boiling point in April 2023.

Political enablers outside Sudan

The conflict in Sudan is fuelled by a constant flow of weapons from around the world. Amnesty International tracked arms from countries including China, Russia and the UAE, travelling through supply routes that dotted across almost every country sharing a border with Sudan.

International law, like the Arms Trade Treaty, is designed to stop these sales. Under this treaty, states parties are legally prohibited from selling weapons if they know the arms will be used for committing human rights abuses or crimes under international law, like genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. Given the documented crimes committed by both sides of the conflict, these countries are failing their legal obligations.

While a UN Security Council arms embargo has been in place for the Darfur region since 2004, it is not enough to stop the violence. In the chaos of the war, weapons move freely across internal borders, making regional restrictions nearly impossible to enforce. Additionally, the widespread violence of the current conflict is not limited to Darfur, with civilians across Sudan get caught in the crossfire.

This cycle of violence will continue unchecked and civilians will be at risk of attacks until a nationwide arms embargo is put in place.

Ethnically motivated violence and war crimes

The fighting in Sudan also opened old wounds left by the country’s history of war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic violence.

Amnesty International experts verified multiple instances of ethnically motivated attacks against ethnic Masalit people in West Darfur in towns like Ardamata, El Geneina, Misterei and Tandelti. Evidence from survivors suggests that the RSF and allied militias are the forces behind these attacks. 

Targeted violence against non-Arab communities in Darfur has a history that predates the current conflict. This includes the Darfur ethnic cleansing in 2003, in which Sudanese government-backed forces systematically killed Darfuri people, leading to allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide from the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court

The massacre at El Fasher

In October 2025, the RSF murdered civilians as they took over the city of El-Fasher in North Darfur. The attack took place after an 18-month siege that subjected the city to starvation and the destruction of vital infrastructure.

The day El-Fasher fell, there were an estimated 260,00 civilians who became trapped in the city. Witnesses described harrowing scenes of RSF fighters shooting, beating and capturing civilians.  Women and girls were subjected to sexual violence.  

“The RSF were killing people as if they were flies”

*Khalil, a 34-year-old man who escaped the massacre at El Fasher

To ensure accountability for violations in Sudan including those committed by the RSF in El Fasher, Amnesty International calls on the international community to maintain and resource all the existing accountability mechanisms for Sudan including the UN Fact-Finding Mission and the ICC.

A growing humanitarian crisis

Displacement

The indiscriminate and widespread nature of attacks from both parties of the conflict is leaving Sudanese people with two choices; flee their homes or get caught in the crossfire.

Over 11.3 million people are internally displaced in Sudan, making it the largest displacement crisis in the world. The scale of this crisis and supply shortages across the country has created a situation where these displaced people are not only surviving without shelter, but are also lacking food, water and medicine.

Another 1.8 million people fled Sudan into neighbouring countries such as the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. However, many refugees have been arbitrarily detained and forcibly deported to the life-threatening dangers that they were trying to escape.

Famine

Sudan is the world’s largest hunger crisis.

Famine has been declared at least five places, including in Darfur and Nuba. Over 26.4 million people are trapped in a spiral of deteriorating food security, largely because of the fighting between the SAF and RSF. The conflict brought farming and agricultural production to a standstill, caused disruption to trade that is shocking the economy and is blocking humanitarian aid access.

Children are among the most vulnerable to the famine. More than 2.9 million children in Sudan are acutely malnourished and an additional 729,000 children under five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Despite the catastrophic threats of famine, both the SAF and RSF are actively restricting aid delivery across Sudan. International organisations like the World Food Programme say that they cannot access 90% of the people facing emergency levels of hunger.   

Gender-based violence

There is an increased risk of sexual violence against women and girls during times of armed conflict, and this is certainly the case in Sudan. Reports of rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence emerged only days after the conflict began.

The RSF’s widespread sexual violence amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. The SAF has also been accused of sexual crimes which could amount to war crimes. Our researchers documented conflict-related rape and other forms of sexual violence committed by the RSF between April 2023 and October 2024. Survivors who were interviewed described the massive physical and mental harm as well as devastating impacts on their families.

The international response to this suffering has been reprehensible. Despite their best efforts, victims and survivors lack health care and justice. None of the survivors we interviewed were able to access timely post-rape care. Vital cuts to USAID-funded programmes have further diminished prospects for accessing comprehensive sexual health care.

Women are not leading or participating in this war, but it is women who are suffering the most. I want the whole world to know about the suffering of Sudanese women and girls and ensure that all the bad men who raped us are punished.

a woman who survived sexual violence in Omdurman, Sudan

Suppression of dissent and civil society

Amid the conflict, both the SAF and RSF are using authoritarian practices to exert control. In areas under their respective influence, civilians are pressured to demonstrate absolute loyalty. Those accused of “collaborating” with opposing forces face arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearances and other unlawful attacks.

This repression has created a “chilling effect” that hinders the work of civil society, journalists and human rights defenders. Civilians opposing the war – or those who are perceived to be aligned with opposing forces – have faced attacks, harassment and arbitrary detention and killings. Activists are blacklisted, denied essential identification documents like passports and barred from international travel. This sustained assault blocks pathways to genuine accountability, and civilian-led or human rights based political transition.

Despite these immense risks, Sudanese activists, organisations and grassroots networks continue their vital work. These groups remain a primary lifeline for civilian support and the collection of evidence on human rights abuses. By attempting to silence these voices, the SAF and RSF are directly undermining the safety and future of the Sudanese people.

What is Amnesty doing to promote human rights during the conflict in Sudan?

As the situation in Sudan evolves, our researchers and campaigners remain committed to documenting human rights abuses and violations. We share our findings with the world and uncover the truth.

We engage in advocacy in key human rights spaces including the African Union and the United Nations Human Rights Council. These efforts, alongside other organisations, led to the establishment of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan in October 2023.

We also support human rights defenders, including through stop-gap emergency financial support, as they continue their tireless work supporting communities inside and outside Sudan.

But to make real change happen, we need help from people like you. We launched a campaign calling on the United Nations Security Council to expand the Darfur arms embargo to stem the flow of weapons into Sudan.

Sign the petition to show your support.