Rank #94 · Africa
Sudan has been engulfed in a catastrophic civil war since April 15, 2023, when the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — a paramilitary that grew from the Janjaweed — began fighting for control of the state. All published military expenditure figures are estimates at best and fiction at worst: both belligerents finance operations through gold revenues, looting, and opaque foreign transfers rather than formal budgets. The conflict has produced one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with over 10 million displaced.
CAUTION: All figures for Sudan are estimates of highly uncertain reliability. The formal SAF-aligned government in Port Sudan nominally controls a defence budget line, but hyperinflation, currency collapse, and the loss of Khartoum — the economic and administrative capital — have rendered formal budgeting meaningless. The RSF, supported by UAE transfers and gold revenues from SAF-Janjaweed-controlled mines in Darfur and Kordofan, operates entirely outside any formal budget structure. Both sides have resorted to looting civilian property, banking infrastructure, and humanitarian aid supplies to fund operations. International financial institutions have suspended operations.
The Sudanese Armed Forces nominally field over 100,000 personnel across ground forces, air force, and navy (Red Sea coast), but actual effective strength after two years of civil war is unknown. The SAF controls most formal military hardware including armour (T-54/55, T-72s), artillery, and limited air assets (MiG-29s, Su-25s, Mi-24 helicopters — serviceability uncertain). The RSF originated as an auxiliary force of ~100,000 paramilitary fighters, highly mobile and experienced from Darfur campaigns; it controls most of Khartoum, much of Darfur, and parts of Kordofan. No reliable order-of-battle exists for either side as of 2025-2026.
Sudan has no meaningful domestic defence industry. Pre-war, the Military Industry Corporation (MIC) produced small arms, ammunition, and light vehicles, but MIC facilities in Khartoum have been damaged or captured. Russia supplied aircraft and air defence historically. China supplied armour and small arms. The UAE is widely reported by UN experts to supply the RSF with weapons via Chad border crossings, despite an arms embargo. Iran has reportedly supplied the SAF with drones. Both supply chains violate the spirit if not the letter of international arms-trade obligations.
The SAF-RSF conflict is among the most destructive active wars globally in 2024-2026. Key facts: over 150,000 killed (estimated, UN OCHA); over 10 million internally displaced — the world's largest IDP crisis as of 2024; famine declared in multiple regions including North Darfur. Khartoum has been largely destroyed. The UAE backs the RSF through logistics, finance, and reported arms transfers; Egypt and Russia back the SAF. Ethiopia, Chad, South Sudan, and Libya are all affected by refugee flows and spillover. The International Criminal Court has outstanding warrants related to Darfur atrocities. Ceasefire efforts (Jeddah Process, African Union mediation) have repeatedly collapsed.
By early 2026 the SAF had recaptured portions of Khartoum state after major offensive operations in late 2025, while the RSF retained control of most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan. Famine was declared in North Darfur in August 2024 — the first formal famine declaration anywhere in the world since 2017. The UN Panel of Experts documented continued UAE arms supplies to the RSF via third-country routes. The African Union established a High-Level Panel on Sudan, but negotiations remained stalled. Total humanitarian funding requirements for Sudan in 2025 exceeded $4 billion, less than 40% funded.
The war began April 15, 2023, when the SAF and RSF — both legacy power-brokers from the Bashir era — fought over the terms of RSF integration into the formal military under a transitional civilian government framework. The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), refused subordination to SAF command. Fighting began in Khartoum and rapidly spread nationwide.
The SAF is backed diplomatically and militarily by Egypt (which fears RSF-linked destabilisation) and reportedly receives support from Russia and Iran. The RSF is widely documented by UN experts to receive support from the UAE, which has economic interests in Sudanese gold mining and strategic interests in the Red Sea/Horn of Africa.
No. All figures — including those on this page — are rough estimates. The formal SAF government budget is published but not credibly executed due to economic collapse. RSF financing is entirely opaque. Treat any number as indicative only.
As of 2024-2025, Sudan hosts the world's largest internally displaced population (over 10 million), with famine declared in North Darfur. Over 150,000 people have been killed. The UN calls it one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.