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Sudan
Africa
Once Africa's largest country before South Sudan's independence, Sudan has a long Nile River presence but struggles with political unrest and conflict.
47,000,000
Population
1,861,484
Area (km²)
Khartoum
Capital
29
Historical Events
Historical Timeline
Cities
29 Events
September 01, 2025 - September: RSF claims Dimsilk and Ziyadia in El Fasher; SAF drone strikes kill 13 in Mellit; RSF raid kills 10 in El Fasher; U.S. sanctions finance minister Gibril Ibrahim; RSF takes al-Ayyara, pushes SAF from El Obeid; RSF drone destroys SAF ammo dump; RSF briefly takes UNAMID garrison in El Fasher; RSF drone hits mosque, killing 78; U.S. engages SAF/RSF for ceasefire talks.
August 01, 2025 - August: RSF advances in El Fasher; SAF retakes villages; U.S. sanctions RSF allies; over 300 protester deaths since Oct 2024.
July 01, 2025 - July: Continued clashes in Kordofan; RSF drone strikes cause outages in Omdurman; UN reports 11,292 attacks since April 2023.
June 01, 2025 - June: RSF takes control of Libya-Egypt border areas; SAF airstrikes in North Darfur; humanitarian crisis worsens with 2.5 million facing famine.
May 01, 2025 - May: RSF claims border territories with Libya/Egypt; SAF regains road in South Kordofan; cholera cases exceed 60,000 since Aug 2024.
April 01, 2025 - April: RSF intensifies in Darfur; SAF bombs RSF positions; over 100 civilians killed in Al Malha clashes; power outages from drone strikes on Merowe Dam.
March 01, 2025 - March: SAF seizes Republican Palace after two years; RSF retreats from parts of Khartoum; drone attacks kill 20+ in markets; Sudan bans Kenyan imports over hosting rivals.
February 01, 2025 - February: SAF retakes key Khartoum districts; RSF vows counteroffensives; 445 journalists affected in 22 months of war.
January 01, 2025 - January: SAF launches major offensive in Khartoum; RSF shelling in El Fasher kills 10+; over 11,000 attacks recorded since war start.
December 01, 2024 - December: RSF consolidates in Kordofan; UN reports 150,000+ killed; famine declared in five Darfur areas.
November 01, 2024 - November: SAF retakes Sharia; RSF massacres in North Darfur; UN cholera deaths hit 1,000.
October 01, 2024 - October: Brief ceasefire for aid fails; RSF advances in Gezira; over 500,000 Sudanese refugees in Egypt.
September 01, 2024 - September: SAF airstrikes in Darfur; RSF controls key trade routes; humanitarian needs reach 25 million.
August 01, 2024 - August: RSF captures El Fasher outskirts; UN reports 2 million children at famine risk; UAE accused of arming RSF.
July 01, 2024 - July: SAF regains Omdurman; RSF accused of sexual violence as war tactic; floods displace 100,000+.
June 01, 2024 - June: RSF seizes Al-Thawra Bridge in Khartoum; UN warns of genocide risks in Darfur; aid convoys looted.
May 01, 2024 - May: SAF counteroffensive in Khartoum; RSF drone strikes kill civilians; over 10 million displaced internally.
April 01, 2024 - April: War anniversary marked by intensified fighting; UN famine alert for 4.7 million; RSF advances in Sennar.
March 01, 2024 - March: SAF retakes parts of Khartoum; RSF controls 80% of Darfur; cholera cases surpass 20,000.
February 01, 2024 - February: UN reports 25,000+ killed; RSF accused of ethnic cleansing in Darfur; brief truce in El Fasher collapses.
January 01, 2024 - January: RSF captures Wad Madani in Al Jazira, displacing 300,000; SAF airstrikes hit RSF positions; Sudan-Sudan refugee crisis worsens with 600,000+ crossing borders.
December 01, 2023 - December: RSF advances in Kordofan; UN reports 12,000+ deaths; over 1.5 million flee to Chad.
November 01, 2023 - November: Brief Jeddah talks fail; RSF massacres in Ardamata camp kill 200+; famine declared in Darfur camps.
October 01, 2023 - October: RSF consolidates control in Darfur; SAF retakes Omdurman market; humanitarian aid blocked, with 25 million (half the population) needing assistance.
September 01, 2023 - September: SAF launches counteroffensives in Khartoum; over 7 million internally displaced nationwide; UN warns of world's largest displacement crisis.
August 01, 2023 - August: Fighting intensifies in Darfur; RSF accused of war crimes in Nyala; cholera outbreak begins in Khartoum, linked to collapsed sanitation.
July 01, 2023 - July: SAF regains some Khartoum suburbs; RSF advances in West Darfur, exacerbating famine risks; UN declares humanitarian crisis, with 1.7 million displaced in Sudan alone.
June 30, 2023 - April–June: RSF seizes most of Khartoum, including the presidential palace and airport; battles spread to Darfur, with ethnic violence in El Geneina killing over 1,000, mostly Masalit civilians targeted by RSF-aligned Janjaweed militias.
April 15, 2023 - Civil war erupts in Khartoum between SAF (led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan) and RSF (led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, "Hemedti"), sparked by tensions over military integration; intense urban fighting displaces millions and destroys infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sudan
100 Questions
Sudan is in Northeast Africa, bordered by Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Red Sea.
The capital is Khartoum.
Around 49 million people as of 2025 estimates.
Arabic and English are official, with many local languages like Nubian, Beja, Fur, and Dinka spoken.
Mostly desert and semi-arid, with a small tropical zone in the south.
The Sudanese pound (SDG).
Red, white, and black horizontal stripes with a green triangle.
Khartoum, Omdurman, Port Sudan, Kassala, and Nyala.
On January 1, 1956, from Britain and Egypt.
Ismail al-Azhari.
Ibrahim Abboud.
As of 2025, Sudan is under military and paramilitary conflict, with no fully stable government.
A transitional government has been attempted, but conflict persists between rival military factions.
Arabs, Nubians, Beja, Fur, Nuba, and many southern groups.
Islam (predominantly Sunni), with Christianity and indigenous beliefs in some areas.
Around $35 billion in 2025 estimates.
About $700.
Around 61%.
About 65 years.
Around 4.3 children per woman.
Around 60%.
Gold, oil, livestock, sesame, and gum arabic.
Machinery, food, fuel, and manufactured goods.
Gold, oil, natural gas, chromium, copper, and fertile land.
It was home to ancient Nubia and the Kingdom of Kush, powerful civilizations along the Nile.
Its location at the confluence of the White and Blue Nile.
A historic city, site of the Mahdist revolt.
The country’s main port on the Red Sea.
Mount Deriba (3,042 m) in the Jebel Marra mountains.
Sorghum, millet, bread, beans, and meat.
A fermented sorghum flatbread, a staple food.
A dish of fava beans, widely eaten.
A porridge made from sorghum or wheat flour.
Tea, coffee, hibiscus tea (karkade), and traditional brews.
Football, athletics, basketball, and wrestling.
The Falcons of Jediane.
Yes, winning once in 1970.
Not yet.
Nasr Eddin Abbas, Mohamed Tahir, and Haitham Mustafa.
Yes, with Ismail Ahmed Ismail winning silver in 800m (2008).
Sudanese pop, Nubian, and folk music.
Tambour (drum), oud, and lyres.
Nubian, Beja sword dances, and regional folk dances.
Men wear jalabiya and women wear tobes (long wraps).
Important in farming, trade, and activism, but face legal and cultural restrictions.
Around 55%.
Around 67%.
Very high, especially among youth.
Around 60%.
Sorghum, millet, wheat, sesame, and groundnuts.
Cattle, camels, sheep, and goats.
Underfunded and overstretched, worsened by war.
Malaria, TB, cholera, HIV/AIDS, and malnutrition.
High, though slowly improving.
Among the highest in Africa.
“Nahnu Jund Allah Jund Al-watan” (“We are the Soldiers of God, the Soldiers of the Homeland”).
“Victory is Ours.”
The secretary bird.
The African fish eagle.
The hibiscus.
Elephants, lions, cheetahs, gazelles, and crocodiles.
Dinder National Park and Radom National Park.
Savannah wildlife and birdlife.
Rainforest and wildlife diversity.
Higher than adults, around 70%.
Around $700 annually.
High, though declining slowly.
Around 35%.
Mostly farmers, herders, and nomads.
Oil, hydroelectric, and biomass.
High in solar and wind.
Conflict, corruption, and overdependence on gold and oil.
Civil war, military rule, and failed transitions to democracy.
An Islamic uprising (1881–1898) that overthrew Egyptian-British rule temporarily.
An ethnic conflict starting in 2003, with mass killings and displacement.
The 2005 deal that ended the Second Sudanese Civil War and paved the way for South Sudan’s independence.
A brutal power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Mediates peace talks and humanitarian coordination.
Provides aid and peace missions, though security is challenging.
A close ally with interests in the Nile waters and border security.
Mediates talks and employs Sudanese labor.
Provides humanitarian aid and sanctions to pressure warring factions.
Invests in oil and infrastructure.
Extremely high due to conflict and economic collapse.
Low overall, with higher density along the Nile.
Pottery, weaving, leatherwork, and goldsmithing.
Coffee is brewed with ginger and spices, central to hospitality.
January 1, celebrated with parades and speeches.
Around 12% difference.
Around 4–5 years.
Lower than in rural areas.
Maternal health, malaria, and humanitarian emergencies.
Conflict disruption, school shortages, and poverty.
Around 6 people per household.
Rapid, despite war and migration.
Gold exports and informal trade, due to oil loss after South Sudan’s independence.
Pyramids of Meroë, Nubian heritage, and the Nile (though limited by instability).
Large diaspora communities provide remittances and advocacy abroad.
Strong activism in protests, though underrepresented in leadership.
It is a nation with deep ancient history, vast resources, and strategic location, but struggling with recurring conflict and instability.