Who Backs Each Side in Sudan’s War

SUDAN · WAR

Sudan’s war is now a contest of outside suppliers as much as a fight between two generals. The army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, have fought since April 2023.

For US readers, the war matters because Washington is trying to broker a truce. UN investigators also link the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Gulf state with close US ties, to a supply network for the RSF, which the UAE denies.

In Plain English, Who Is Who

The RSF is a paramilitary force that emerged from militias in Darfur, the western region. Kordofan is the central region where much of the current fighting takes place.

The Quad is a diplomatic group of the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt that has proposed a truce. It is not a military alliance.

How the War Began and Who Holds What

The war began in April 2023 as a power struggle between the army and the RSF, including a dispute over folding the RSF into the regular military. Sudan is now in the fourth year of that fight.

The army holds the north, east and centre of the country. The RSF holds nearly all of Darfur, while Kordofan is split between the two sides.

On 2 October the army said it had captured al-Mazroub, which an army source called the RSF’s largest stronghold in North Kordofan. On 7 October Burhan rejected talks and vowed to retake “every inch” of RSF-held territory.

What the UN Says About Outside Backing

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan issued a report on 3 September 2026 and presented it to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 7 September. It found that outside support has expanded the capabilities of both sides, which now rely on long-range drones.

The mission said it has reasonable grounds to believe a network linking entities in the UAE, Chad, south-eastern Libya and Somalia supplies weapons and drones to the RSF. It also documented former Colombian military personnel operating RSF drones, and the UAE denies supplying either side.

Analysts often place Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia closer to the army. The mission did not name them as suppliers in the findings it presented, and the claims against Turkey rest on a March 2025 investigation based on leaked documents that said the drone maker Baykar sent TB2 drones and missiles to the army through intermediaries.

Baykar had not commented at the time, and we could not confirm a response from Ankara. These are allegations, not court findings.

What the Army Alleges

On 1 November the army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Yassir al-Atta, told troops in Khartoum that the UAE and Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, back the RSF. He gave no evidence, and we found no corroboration.

Al-Atta also alleged that the RSF recruited “tens of thousands of mercenaries” from South Sudan, as well as fighters from Chad, Libya, Niger, Ethiopia, Somalia, West Africa and Colombia. South Sudan’s government had not responded when the remarks were published, and it called a similar claim by the army in early 2025 “unfounded”.

Defections and the Drone War

On 31 October video footage showed Major General Siddiq Ander, a senior RSF commander, announcing his defection. He accused relatives of Hemedti of controlling the group’s finances, weapons and promotions.

On 8 October Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Azraq al-Fanjari announced he was leaving with about 300 officers and soldiers, and the army said in August that 318 RSF fighters had joined it. Neither claim has been independently verified.

The UN human rights office said in May that drones are now the leading cause of civilian deaths in Sudan. On 16 October the RSF said an army drone struck a livestock market in Nyala, the RSF’s base in South Darfur, and killed 30 civilians.

A strike on a Darfur market on 26 October killed more than 100 people, according to Emergency Lawyers, a pro-democracy lawyers’ group. The Sudan Doctors Network counted at least 21 dead, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it received 36 bodies.

Heglig, Oil and South Sudan

The RSF said on 8 December 2025 that it had seized the Heglig oilfield, a processing hub on the border with South Sudan. South Sudan exports its crude through Sudanese pipelines to the Red Sea, so fighting there threatens its main source of income.

South Sudan’s information minister said in December that a three-way deal would have South Sudan’s army secure Heglig while both Sudanese forces withdrew. We found no confirmation of that deal from either Sudanese side.

What It Means for US Readers

Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, said on 7 October that peace “can be achieved through an inclusive Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led national dialogue”. The US State Department said that neither the army nor the RSF represents legitimate governance for Sudan.

The RSF said on 6 November 2025 that it accepted the Quad’s proposed three-month humanitarian truce and later declared a unilateral pause. The army rejected the proposal.

The UN humanitarian office (OCHA) sought US$4.2 billion in 2025 to help 20.9 million people in Sudan. Our guide to Sudan’s economy explains what is at stake for trade and investment.

What Is Not Known

No reliable death toll exists, and published estimates range from tens of thousands to far higher. Displacement figures also differ by source and date, from about 13 million to about 14 million people.

No evidence has been published for the claim that tens of thousands of South Sudanese fighters serve in the RSF. It is also unclear who controls Heglig today and whether any truce or ceasefire talks are scheduled.

More: Sudan news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is fighting in Sudan?

The army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. The war began in April 2023.

Which countries are said to back each side?

A UN mission says a network linked to the UAE and other countries supplies the RSF, and the UAE denies it. Analysts place Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia nearer the army, but these remain allegations.

Why does South Sudan matter to the war?

South Sudan exports its oil through Sudanese pipelines, and the Heglig field is a key hub on the border. Sudan’s army alleges South Sudanese fighters serve in the RSF, without published evidence.

What is the US role?

Washington is part of the Quad, which has proposed a humanitarian truce. Senior US officials say peace needs a Sudanese-led national dialogue.

Sources: UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, report of 3 September 2026 and presentation to the Human Rights Council of 7 September 2026 (UN human rights office, Sudan); UN human rights office on drones and civilian deaths, May 2026; statements by Sudan’s army chief of staff, 1 November 2026; statements by Massad Boulos and the US State Department, 7 October 2026; UN OCHA, Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief