Wars do not solve problems. They bring riches to dictators, despots, arms manufacturers and the countries and companies that sell missiles, attack drones, bombs, and assault rifles. To everyone else in war-torn areas, war brings pain, famine, lost limbs, lost loved ones, and unimaginable suffering.
This page explores sources that discuss WHO BENEFITS from the Sudan Civil War. Who benefits from production and sale of weapons of mass destruction, including assault rifles, man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), missiles, drones, bombs, and tanks? Who benefits from controlling Sudanese gold, oil, and other precious resources? Who benefits from the takeover of fertile land and water for food production?
Sudan air force bombing kills at least 1,700 civilians, investigation says | BBC News, December 9, 2025. Sudan’s air force has carried out bombings in which at least 1,700 civilians have died in attacks on residential neighbourhoods, markets, schools and camps for displaced people, according to an investigation into air raids in the country’s civil war. The Sudan Witness Project says it has compiled the largest known dataset of military airstrikes in the conflict, which began in April 2023. Its analysis indicates that the air force has used unguided bombs in populated areas. The Sudanese Armed Forces did not respond to a BBC request for a comment. But it has previously denied allegations of targeting civilians, saying its air strikes are “directed solely” at its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces “gatherings, location and bases recognised as legitimate targets”.
How ‘money, weapons, and diplomatic support’ from regional actors are fueling atrocities in Sudan, November 4, 2025. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is calling for an immediate end to what he calls a ‘nightmare of violence’ in Sudan. Last week, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the besieged city of el-Fasher from the Sudanese Army Forces (SAF). It’s a major turning point in Sudan’s war – cementing RSF control of the western Darfur region. Since then, horrifying reports have been emerging from el-Fasher. The RSF is accused of carrying out mass executions and other atrocities. Satellite images taken from space show bloodstained sands. The fate of 200,000 civilians trapped in the city is unclear. Since April 2023, the RSF has been involved in a power struggle with the SAF. But it’s a story that goes far beyond Sudan’s borders – with numerous global powers playing a role in the conflict.
Sudan war reports of atrocities, Al Jazeera, November 10, 2025. Doctors in Sudan say the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has been concealing evidence of its atrocities. The Sudan Doctors Network says fighters have been burning or burying bodies in mass graves in an attempt to cover up killings in the Darfur region. The RSF took over el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, two weeks ago, after driving out the army. The UN says there are reports of brutal attacks as people tried to flee the city. Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan has more from Khartoum, Sudan. The RSF takeover of el-Fasher is a significant development in the conflict because it means the paramilitary group now controls most of the Darfur region. The UN estimates 82,000 people fled el-Fasher when fighters seized the city. Most of them were women and children. They fled on foot to the town of Tawila, around 60 kilometres away. Some survivors travelled for many days, covering hundreds of kilometres, to reach a displacement camp in Al Dabbah in Northern State. Waseem Solangi is with the humanitarian aid group Triangle Generation Humanitaire. He describes the desperation faced by people trying to escape the brutal violence in el-Fasher.
Sudan’s Gold War: How UAE’s Hidden Gold Trade Finances the RSF Conflict | Human Rights Report, Washington Centre for Human Rights, November 5, 2025. Sudan’s gold has become a weapon of war. Between 2023 and 2025, Sudan’s internal conflict escalated into one of Africa’s deadliest wars — driven by gold revenues, foreign sponsorship, and regional rivalries. At the heart of this crisis stands the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti), accused of running a brutal campaign of violence and ethnic cleansing across Darfur and South Kordofan. According to international investigators, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a critical financial and logistical hub for RSF operations. Over 90% of Sudan’s gold exports — both legal and illicit — flow to the UAE, where it is refined, sold, and converted into foreign currency and military-grade supplies. This gold-for-guns pipeline empowers the RSF to maintain its grip despite sanctions and international condemnation. The RSF’s rise from paramilitary force to quasi-state actor is not merely a Sudanese problem — it represents a global pattern of resource-backed warfare, where conflict minerals and offshore finance networks sustain violence. The UAE’s role, whether through commercial entities, shell companies, or banking access, raises grave questions about terror financing, human rights accountability, and the ethics of trade in conflict zones.
Yale report finds evidence of RSF mass killings in Sudan’s el-Fasher, Aljazeera, October 29, 2025. There are allegations of mass killings being carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the Sudanese region of North Darfur. More evidence is emerging of fighters targeting civilians after they seized control of the strategic city from the army. The Sudanese government says at least 2000 people have been killed in the city since Sunday, but there are fears the true number could be far higher. Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reports. Nathaniel Raymond is the Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health. He says the scale of the violence in el-Fasher is unprecedented.
Sudan war for El-Fasher intensifies, October 26, 2025. Aljazeera. Fighting has intensified in Sudan’s besieged city of el-Fasher in North Darfur, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group claimed it had captured a government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) base seen as their last stronghold in the western region. The takeover of the base, which is known as the Six Infantry Division belonging to the Sudanese army, came after days of heavy fighting The paramilitary group has laid siege to Al Fasher for more than 17 months, blocking the entry of food and humanitarian aid. Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reports from the capital Khartoum. Justin Lynch is the Managing Director of Conflict Insights Group, and co-author of ‘Sudan’s Unfinished Democracy’. He says that the RSF wants to represent Darfur in talks in Washington.
How gold drives the Sudan war, July 12, 2025, DW News. Sudan is more than two years into a brutal war. What many people don’t know is that the conflict is also fueled by a scramble for gold. The two main warring parties, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are controlling different parts of the country – the SAF mostly the country’s east and the RSF mostly the country’s west, including the Darfur region. Both have been ramping up gold production throughout the war and are using it to fund their war efforts. Gold is increasingly being smuggled across the border to neighboring countries like Egypt. It’s also one of the ways global players such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are entangled in the conflict. Dubai reportedly provides weapons, like drones, in return for gold.
Russia, the UAE and Sudan’s stolen gold | The Big Picture, Middle East Eye, May 19, 2025. As a new gold rush takes over the world, driving up the price of gold to historic levels, the UAE has strategically turned itself into a global hub for gold, and gold laundering. And it’s done this partly through financing civil war in Africa, and in particular, Sudan, where a brutal all our war has waged for two years between the country’s military and a rogue mercenary army that’s figured out how to exchange gold for weapons.
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