Sudan
Sudan is a country in north-eastern Africa, bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the north-east, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the south-west, Chad to the west and Libya to the north-west. The capital is Khartoum, located at the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile rivers. Sudan has a population of about 45-million and is the third-largest country in Africa by area. The economy is dominated by agriculture, livestock and oil production, though oil revenues declined sharply after South Sudan's independence in 2011 took most of the oilfields. The currency is the Sudanese pound. Sudan is a republic, though it has experienced prolonged periods of military rule and civil conflict. The country is a member of the African Union and the Arab League. Key agricultural regions include the states of North Kordofan, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, North Darfur and South Darfur, which are significant for crop and livestock production but have also been affected by conflict and food insecurity. Since 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, causing widespread displacement, economic collapse and acute food insecurity across much of the country. The conflict has severely disrupted farming, trade and humanitarian access, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.
Sudan Updates
US ties Sudanese army leader's UN visa to ceasefire plan, sources say
By: Reuters 23rd September 2026 The United States is withholding a visa for Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ahead of his scheduled UN appearance in a move that Sudanese... →
Currency collapse heaps more pain on civilians in divided Sudan
By: Reuters 22nd September 2026 The Sudanese pound has haemorrhaged nearly half its value in army-held territory since the start of the summer, piling misery on civilians trying... →
Credible elections are no longer possible in South Sudan – what next?
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 16th September 2026 Attention should shift to preserving the peace deal that underpins the current government and is key to averting large-scale violence. South... →
African Union peacekeeping is growing as UN missions decline: research finds a mixed record of success
15th September 2026 When violent conflict erupts in Africa, attention often turns to the United Nations, major powers, or external donors. Yet over the past two... →
World Food Programme funding for Sudan plummets as more go hungry, head says
By: Reuters 14th September 2026 The World Food Programme's funding for Sudan — the world's largest hunger crisis — has fallen by about half this year, its acting head told... →
UN peace operations review may struggle to deliver for Africa
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 3rd September 2026 The review report reflects some of Africa’s demands, but major challenges threaten the implementation of its recommendations. The long-awaited... →
Foreign support, drones fuel Sudan war and possible war crimes, UN probe says
By: Reuters 3rd September 2026 Foreign weapons, military technology, fighters and logistical networks are helping sustain Sudan's conflict and expanding the warring parties'... →
Can the African Union remain relevant in Libya?
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 2nd September 2026 Unless the AU can help coordinate implementation of existing peace initiatives, its influence on the ground may continue to wane. Fifteen years... →
Extensive power cuts hamper life in Sudan
By: Reuters 28th August 2026 Sudanese welder Shannan Mohammed has been building furniture for a family in Omdurman little by little as constant blackouts interrupt his work.... →
SA: Cyril Ramaphosa: Address by South African President, at the fourth session of the South Africa–Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC), OR Tambo Building, Pretoria (21/08/2026)
21st August 2026 We meet, Dear Brother, in the aftermath of the tragedy on Lake Kariba, where the capsizing of a ferry claimed close to a hundred lives. Our... →
