The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2019 to 2025 Africa

Military - note Sudan, in 7 editions.

The entry for Sudan published Military - note in 7 editions of 36, from 2019 to 2025. The text changed in 6 editions. Each is shown as published. Military - note in every entry.

editions changed the text
6
the first edition with it
2019
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Military - note” (2019 to 2025).

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2025 edition

Changed since 2024

Open the 2025 entry

  • the primary responsibilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are border control, external defense, and internal security;
  • SAF operations have traditionally been supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF);
  • in the Spring of 2023, fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF, particularly around the capital Khartoum and in the western region of Darfur, amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule;
  • fighting subsequently spread and continued into 2025 with reports of atrocities, ethnic cleansing, food insecurity, heavy civilian casualties, and millions of internally displaced persons;
  • each side is supported by allied militias and both reportedly have received foreign support
  • the Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956;
  • in addition, the military has a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports
  • the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011;
  • UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid;
  • as of 2025, UNISFA had approximately 3,800 personnel assigned (2025)

the primary responsibilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are internal security, border control, and countering potential external threats from its neighbors; defense, and internal security; SAF operations have traditionally been supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF); in the Spring of 2023, heavy fighting broke out between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF, particularly around the capital Khartoum and in the western region of Darfur, amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule; fighting has since subsequently spread and continued into 2024 2025 with reports of atrocities, ethnic cleansing, food insecurity, heavy civilian casualties, and millions of internally displaced persons persons; each side is supported by allied militias and both reportedly have received foreign support
the Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956; in addition, the military has a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports
the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has operated in the disputed Abyei region along the border between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011; UNISFA's mission includes ensuring security, protecting civilians, strengthening the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, de-mining, monitoring/verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the area, and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid; as of 2024, 2025, UNISFA had approximately 3,200 3,800 personnel assigned
the October 2020 peace agreement provided for the establishment of a Joint Security Keeping Forces (JSKF) comprised of 12,000 personnel tasked with securing the Darfur region in the place of the UN African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force that operated in the war-torn region between 2007 and the end of its mandate in December 2020; in June 2021, Sudan's transitional government announced it would increase the size of this force to 20,000 and expand its mission scope to include the capital and other parts of the country suffering from violence; the force would include the SAF, RSF, police, intelligence, and representatives from armed groups involved in peace negotiations; in September 2022, the first 2,000 members of the JSKF completed training; the status of the JSKF since the start of the civil war is not available (2024)
(2025)

Cite this page

Central Intelligence Agency. “Sudan: Military - note.” The World Factbook, 2019–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/sudan/military-note.

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