Sudan: Introduction

Sudan possesses significant potential due to its strategic location, diverse mineral deposits, and arable land, yet it remains one of the world's poorest countries. Decades of authoritarian rule and internal conflict, culminating in the civil war since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, have led to the collapse of state institutions and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Despite its history as a petro-state prior to South Sudan's 2011 secession, the economy suffers from a lack of diversification and chronic trade deficits.

• Sudan's strategic geography and natural resources—including gold, uranium, chromite, gypsum, mica, marble, and iron ore—offer significant development potential, yet poor governance and protracted conflicts have prevented these from driving structural transformation.
• The economy was historically dependent on oil, with exports providing approximately 50% of government revenues and 90-95% of total export earnings before the secession of South Sudan in 2011.
• The civil war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused a near-total collapse of state institutions and a severe humanitarian crisis, with over 150,000 deaths, 15 million displaced persons, and 24 million people facing food insecurity.
• Sudan ranks 170 out of 193 countries in the 2023-2024 Human Development Report (HDR), reflecting systemic failures in health, education, and economic equality.

APA

Aikins, E. R. (2026). Sudan: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=SD&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Aikins, Enoch Randy. Sudan: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=SD&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Aikins |first1=Enoch Randy |title=Sudan: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=15 June 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=SD&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{aikins2026sudan, author = {Aikins, Enoch Randy}, title = {{Sudan: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=SD&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }