Sudan’s civil battle, now in its third year, has pitted the military in opposition to the paramilitary Fast Assist Forces (RSF) in a devastating battle for energy.
The battle has unleashed the world’s largest displacement crisis, with greater than 9.5 million individuals pressured from their houses throughout Sudan’s 18 states and hundreds of thousands dealing with hunger.
Sudan has massive pure sources, together with oil, gold and agricultural land that might assist feed its individuals, however the combating and shifting management of those sources make that inconceivable.
Listed here are eight maps and charts to indicate you what sources Sudan has and who controls them:
Who controls what in Sudan?
The military holds a lot of the north and the east, together with the capital, Khartoum, in addition to different key cities alongside the Nile and the strategic Port Sudan on the Crimson Sea.
The RSF has consolidated its grip on the western area of Darfur, after it captured el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, on October 26, having besieged it for practically 18 months.
What are Sudan’s principal exports?
Three sectors lead: Oil, gold, and agricultural merchandise.
In 2023, Sudan’s exports price $5.09bn have been primarily crude oil ($1.13bn), gold ($1.03bn), animal merchandise ($902m), oilseeds ($709m, of which $613m was sesame), and gum arabic ($141m).
Sudan is the world’s largest exporter of sesame seeds and gum arabic, which is used as a stabiliser and emulsifier by the worldwide meals and beverage business and goes into prescription drugs, dietary supplements, and cosmetics.
Who controls Sudan’s agricultural sources?
The nation’s geography is formed largely by the Nile River, which floods yearly, watering the agricultural lands.
The White Nile meets the Blue Nile in Khartoum and continues northwards into Egypt because the Nile.
About half (51.4 p.c) of Sudan is roofed in grazing land, principally throughout the southern a part of the nation, ending roughly at Khartoum.
Grazing lands, or rangelands, are coveted as a result of they’ll assist the herding and animal husbandry industries – management is split roughly equally between the military and the RSF.
The northern sector of rangeland is a strip referred to as the “gum arabic belt” the place the acacia bushes that produce the precious resin are planted.
Sudan’s croplands are principally concentrated between the Blue and White Niles, the place Gezira state lies, an space managed by armed forces.
Who controls Sudan’s petroleum?
Oil exports are Sudan’s major income.
Manufacturing expanded between 2001 and 2010, from 200,000 barrels per day to just about 500,000bpd. In 2011, it collapsed when South Sudan seceded, taking 75 p.c of Sudan’s oil reserves with it.
By 2023, output had fallen to 70,000bpd, based on the US Power Data Administration.
The Observatory of Financial Complexity estimated that crude oil remained one in all Sudan’s prime exports that 12 months, valued at $1.13bn, making it the world’s Fortieth-largest crude exporter.
Its prime consumers have been Malaysia ($468m), Italy ($299m), Germany ($125m), China ($105m), Singapore ($80.3m) and India ($51.4m).
As of 2024, Sudan’s oil reserves have been estimated at 1.25 billion barrels, whereas pure fuel reserves stood at 3 trillion cubic ft. Sudan, nonetheless, neither produces nor consumes fuel in important portions.
Most of Sudan’s oilfields are within the south close to the South Sudan border, and the 2 international locations’ oil sectors stay carefully linked. Many of those fields are presently below RSF management.
The business is supported by 5 refineries within the central and northern areas. The biggest is the Khartoum refinery, which might course of 100,000bpd and, as of late January 2025, is held by SAF.
The military additionally controls the smaller Port Sudan refinery.
Pipelines carry crude from the southern fields to the Bashayer export terminal south of Port Sudan, an important route for Sudanese and South Sudanese oil. The road from el-Obeid to Port Sudan stays principally below military management.
Who controls Sudan’s gold?
Sudan is one in all Africa’s main gold producers, with deposits throughout the northeast, centre and the south.
Many of the deposits in japanese Sudan are managed by the Sudanese military, whereas the central and southwestern goldfields are largely below RSF management.
A lot of the gold is extracted by artisanal and small-scale mining, which employs lots of of hundreds of individuals however operates largely outdoors authorities regulation.
For the reason that battle started in 2023, management over gold mines and commerce routes has turn into a essential supply of funding for either side within the battle.
Native information agencies reported in July that, regardless of the battle, Sudan’s gold manufacturing surged to 64 tonnes in 2024, up 53 p.c from 41.8 tonnes in 2022, producing $1.57bn in authorized export revenues. An unquantified black-market commerce continues, fuelled by the instability.
In response to the Observatory of Financial Complexity, the United Arab Emirates purchased greater than 99 p.c of the $1.03bn in Sudanese gold exports in 2023.
Who’re Sudan’s principal buying and selling companions?
Some 80 p.c of Sudan’s exports are to Asia, adopted by 11 p.c to Europe and eight.5 p.c to Africa.
In 2023, the UAE was Sudan’s prime commerce associate, importing $1.09bn, or 21 p.c of Sudan’s whole exports, virtually completely in gold. China ranked second, importing $882m (17 p.c), primarily in vegetable merchandise.
It was adopted by Saudi Arabia, with $802m (16 p.c) price of principally livestock; Malaysia, with $470m (9 p.c) of primarily crude petroleum; and Egypt, with $387m (7.6 p.c) of a mixture of items.
These 5 international locations account for greater than two-thirds of Sudan’s exports.
Sudan at a look
Sudan is the third-largest nation in Africa, about 1.9 million sq km (718,000sq miles).
As of 2024, its inhabitants was 50.5 million, with most residents concentrated along the Nile River and in city centres. The Better Khartoum space has a inhabitants of about seven million, and Nyala in South Darfur has virtually 1.15 million individuals.
Different principal cities are el-Obeid (560,000), Port Sudan (547,000), Kassala (411,000), Gadarif (364,000), el-Daein (265,000), el-Fasher (253,000), ad-Damazin (186,000), Geneina (163,000), Gereida (120,000), and Atbara (108,000).
