Visualising the war in Sudan: Conflict, control and displacement

The warfare successful Sudan is nearing nan two-year people and nan tremendous suffering of its group continues.

As 2 powerful equipped rivals tear nan state isolated successful what has been termed an “existential battle”, millions person had to fly their homes, hundreds of thousands person been killed, and countless others are going quiet aliases being abused.

On April 15, 2023, Sudan was plunged into conflict arsenic longstanding tensions betwixt service main Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo erupted into war.

Nearly 9,000 recorded attacks

Between April 15, 2023, and October 25, 2024, nan warring sides exchanged a full of 8,942 attacks, averaging 16 a day, according to information from nan Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a situation mapping organisation.

Geographically, three-quarters of each attacks person centred astir 3 main regions:

Khartoum

More than half of each attacks, 4,858 aliases 54 percent of each recorded incidents, person been documented astir nan capital, Khartoum.

Sudan’s service has successful caller months launched a awesome offensive location to reclaim areas seized by nan RSF astatine nan opening of nan conflict.

Gezira State

Gezira, Sudan’s cultivation hub southbound of Khartoum, has seen 1,077 attacks, aliases astir 12 percent of recorded incidents.

North Darfur

Darfur – a occidental region divided into 5 states – and its group person agelong suffered from soul conflict. In North Darfur, location were astatine slightest 818 attacks, aliases 9 percent of each recorded incidents.

Rest of Sudan

The remaining 25 percent of nan fighting has been dispersed crossed nan country, including successful South Darfur (361 attacks), North Kordofan (335 attacks) and West Darfur (269 attacks).

The representation beneath highlights nan locations of these attacks.

[Al Jazeera]

Tens of thousands of group killed

According to ACLED, astatine slightest 24,000 group person been reported killed crossed Sudan, though nan existent decease toll is apt overmuch higher – particularly erstwhile accounting for indirect deaths specified arsenic nan dispersed of disease, malnutrition and deficiency of capable healthcare.

About one-third of recorded deaths person occurred successful Khartoum, which has nan highest casualty rate.

West Darfur follows pinch 17 percent and North Darfur pinch 15 percent, highlighting nan terrible toll of continuing unit successful these areas.

Exchange of fire

According to ACLED, Sudan’s service has carried retired 4,805 attacks, accounting for 54 percent of reported incidents.

The RSF has conducted 3,069 attacks, making up 34 percent of full recorded incidents.

Other groups, including Darfur Communal Militia, Darfur Arab Militia, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, Twic Clan Militia and others person been down nan remaining 1,068 (12 percent) of attacks.

Timeline of attacks

After months of tensions, connected April 15, 2023, dense gunfire and explosions erupted successful Khartoum, a metropolis of 10 cardinal people.

Gunfire was heard successful nan vicinity of service office and nan Ministry of Defence, nan statesmanlike palace and Khartoum International Airport.

By nan extremity of August 2023, attacks reached their highest intensity, pinch 675 mixed attacks recorded.

That month, nan UN reported 1 cardinal group had fled nan state and soul displacement exceeded 3.4 million.

Following a little diminution successful attacks, unit again intensified successful January 2024.

By then, nan UN had reported that 8 cardinal group were displaced by nan warfare arsenic famine loomed crossed nan country.

On September 26, 2024, nan Sudanese service carried retired aerial raids against RSF positions successful nan superior successful its biggest specified battle successful months.

[Al Jazeera]

Who controls what successful Sudan?

The conflict successful Sudan has fragmented Africa’s third-largest country, chiefly divided betwixt nan army, nan RSF and respective smaller equipped groups.

The RSF, whose powerfulness guidelines is successful Darfur, person mostly driven nan service retired of that region and now power astir of it.

The main objection is el-Fasher, North Darfur’s capital, which remains nether nan power of erstwhile rebel groups.

Meanwhile, some groups person continued to conflict complete Khartoum pinch nan service holding nan bluish parts of nan capital, arsenic good arsenic respective strategical adjacent areas including White Nile, Blue Nile and Gadarif states.

[Al Jazeera]

14 cardinal group displaced

The UN has warned that Sudan is facing nan world’s worst displacement crisis, arsenic nan warfare continues pinch nary extremity successful sight.

About 30 percent of Sudan’s 48 cardinal organization – much than 14 cardinal group – person been forced to fly their homes owed to nan war.

Of those, astatine slightest 11 cardinal group person been displaced wrong nan country, according to nan latest figures from nan International Organization for Migration (IOM).

At slightest 3 cardinal group person crossed world borders, placing immense strain connected neighbouring countries, specified arsenic Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.

The main regions of root for displaced group are:

• Khartoum: 3.7 cardinal displaced (33 percent of nan total)
• South Darfur: 2.1 cardinal displaced (19 percent)
• North Darfur: 1.6 cardinal displaced (14.3 percent)

The main destinations for nan internally displaced group are:

• South Darfur: 1.8 cardinal displaced (17 percent of nan total)
• North Darfur: 1.5 cardinal displaced (14 percent)
• Gedaref: astir 1 cardinal displaced (9 percent)

Despite galore attempts to discuss a ceasefire, nan unit shows small motion of abating, leaving millions successful urgent request of assistance.