MMXXVI · Beirut N 33°53′ E 35°29′
Beirut Desk Make an inquiry →
← State of play

built · open

Sudan, the War Nobody Explains

Faction cards, rival governments, external backers, one humanitarian catastrophe.

As of

11 Aug 2026

Actors

Four

Since

15 Apr 2026

Sources

Reuters · UN OCHA · UN Security Council

Plate for Sudan, the War Nobody Explains
Dates and figures in the plate are repeated as text below.

View full size →

Two armed forces, two governments claiming the same state, and a set of external backers that are reported or alleged rather than declared. The map reduces to one line running from Darfur in the west, through Kordofan as the contest zone, to the army-held east. The UN calls it the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

2026 appeal funded
41%
Received
$1.2bn
Required
$2.9bn

The UN calls Sudan the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly three quarters of the population need aid. Figures as of 10 August 2026.

The cast

SAF

holding

Who
Sudanese Armed Forces.
Wants
Keep the state under army rule; defeat RSF.
Holds
Eastern state institutions and the Port Sudan government.
Now
Controls the east. Fighting remains active around Kordofan.

Sources P6-S1

RSF

holding

Who
Rapid Support Forces.
Wants
Preserve autonomous power and territorial leverage.
Holds
Much of Darfur plus a parallel governing project.
Now
Strong in Darfur. Fighting continues around Kordofan and new fronts.

Sources P6-S1

Port Sudan govt

holding

Who
Army-aligned government.
Wants
International recognition and a unified state under SAF.
Holds
Formal ministries and diplomatic recognition.
Now
Functions from Port Sudan while the war continues.

Sources P6-S1

RSF parallel govt

diminished

Who
RSF-backed rival administration.
Wants
Political legitimacy for RSF-held territory.
Holds
Claims authority in RSF-controlled areas.
Now
Rejected by the UN Security Council as a threat to Sudan's unity.

Sources P6-S3

The map in one line

West to east, the war reduces to three zones and one contested middle.

  1. 01

    Darfur / west

    RSF

    RSF stronghold and parallel administration.

    P6-S1

  2. 02

    Kordofan

    CONTESTED

    Main contest zone linking east and west.

    P6-S2

  3. 03

    East

    SAF

    SAF and Port Sudan government.

    P6-S1

How the steps depend on each other

  • S1 S2 contests The RSF pushes east through Kordofan.
  • S2 S3 contests Kordofan is what stands between the RSF and the army-held east.

What is not settled

RSF external backing
ALLEGED UAE support is alleged by UN researchers, US lawmakers and Sudan's army; the UAE denies it. P6-S1
SAF external backing
REPORTED Reuters reports support from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to varying degrees. P6-S1

Chains of contradiction

  1. Two governments, one state

    1. The Port Sudan government holds formal ministries and diplomatic recognition.
    2. The RSF parallel administration claims authority in the territory it controls.
    3. The UN Security Council rejected the parallel government as a threat to Sudan's unity.
    4. Rejection did not remove it from the ground it administers.

    P6-S1P6-S3

  2. Backers who are not parties

    1. UAE support for the RSF is alleged by UN researchers, US lawmakers and Sudan's army.
    2. The UAE denies it.
    3. Reuters reports support for the SAF from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to varying degrees.
    4. Every external role in this war is reported or alleged, never declared.

    P6-S1

  3. The worst crisis, the thinnest response

    1. The UN calls Sudan the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
    2. Nearly three quarters of the population need aid.
    3. The 2026 appeal was about 41 percent funded as of 10 August.
    4. $1.2bn had been received against $2.9bn required.

    P6-S2

Changelog

  • 11 Aug 2026 File created from the commissioned plate.

Sources

  • P6-S1 Reuters War explainer: territorial control and external support 15 Apr 2026 wire service link pending verification
    What this source establishes
    • Faction positions
    • Territorial control
    • Alleged and reported external backing
  • P6-S2 UN OCHA Kordofan, displacement and 41 percent funding 10 Aug 2026 official international institution link pending verification
    What this source establishes
    • Kordofan as contest zone
    • Displacement
    • Appeal funding figures
  • P6-S3 UN Security Council Reporting on the rejection of the RSF parallel government 1 Aug 2026 official international institution link pending verification
    What this source establishes
    • Rejection of the parallel government

Data range: April to 11 August 2026.

← All files