Who Leads Sudan?

Leadership

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

President of Sudan

Political Party

Military

Inaugurated

Aug 2019

Term Ends

TBD

Next Election

TBD

Born

1960 in Merowe, Sudan

Country Population

48M

Continent

Africa

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan leads the Sudanese army and chairs the Sovereignty Council. He took power in a 2021 coup that derailed the transition to civilian rule following the 2019 ouster of Omar al-Bashir. Since April 2023, he has been fighting a civil war against the RSF led by his former ally Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). The conflict has caused massive civilian suffering.

Government

Capital

Khartoum

Official Language(s)

Arabic, English

Currency

Sudanese Pound (SDG)

Government Type

Transitional (Civil War)

Area

1,861,484 km²

Sudan is a large Northeast African country with the meeting point of the Blue and White Nile rivers at Khartoum. Since April 2023, it has been engulfed in a devastating civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Sudan has ancient Nubian pyramids, significant agricultural potential, and gold reserves.

Sudan has no functioning unified government. The Sovereignty Council under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (SAF commander) controls parts of northern and eastern Sudan. The RSF (Rapid Support Forces) under General Hemeti controls Khartoum, Darfur, and parts of Kordofan. Both sides claim to represent Sudan's government. Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for 30 years (1989-2019) and was indicted by the International Criminal Court for Darfur genocide, was overthrown in 2019 by a popular uprising. A civilian transition government was then overthrown in October 2021 by Burhan and Hemeti working together. In April 2023, the two generals turned on each other, triggering the current civil war.

Economic Snapshot

GDP

$34.3B

GDP Per Capita

$700

Income Group

Lower-middle income (pre-war; now disputed)

Trade Balance

Large deficit (war-disrupted)

Inflation

Extremely high; estimated 250%+ (CBS, 2023; pre-war estimate already very high)

Sudan's economic history has been one of unrealized potential. The Gezira scheme (one of the world's largest irrigation projects, feeding cotton and other crops from the Blue Nile between Khartoum and Sennar) was once one of Africa's most productive agricultural zones. Nile Valley agriculture was Sudan's economic foundation. The discovery and export of oil (2000-2011; now mostly South Sudan's oil) brought a decade of growth. But mismanagement, sanctions, and chronic conflict have prevented sustained development. The RSF (Rapid Support Forces) fighting General Burhan's SAF is a transformation of the Janjaweed militia that committed the Darfur atrocities. General Hemeti built the RSF from the remnants of the Janjaweed, creating a parallel military force that controlled gold mining revenues, border crossings, and became a parallel state-within-a-state. When Burhan and Hemeti united to overthrow the civilian government in 2021, they created a joint junta. When they turned on each other in April 2023 over the future command and integration of the RSF into the regular army, the result was catastrophic. Gum arabic's global importance is underappreciated. It stabilizes the carbonation in soft drinks, prevents crystallization in candy, is used as a coating on pharmaceutical tablets, and has dozens of other industrial uses. The U.S. maintained comprehensive sanctions on Sudan for decades but specifically exempted gum arabic because American food companies had no alternative supply. This exemption illustrated how dependent global consumer product supply chains are on this obscure Sudanese product.

Major Industries

• Agriculture (gum arabic: 75-80% of world supply; sesame: major world exporter; cotton; sorghum)
• Gold Mining (Africa's 3rd largest gold producer; Jebel Amer and other deposits)
• Oil (modest; most oil fields in South Sudan after 2011 independence; some remaining in Blue Nile area)
• Livestock (one of Africa's largest livestock populations)
• Food Processing & Manufacturing (severely disrupted by war)

Sudan is known for: Sudan produces approximately 75-80% of the world's gum arabic, a natural gum derived from acacia trees that is an essential ingredient in Coca-Cola, Pepsi, M&Ms, Skittles, pharmaceuticals (coating on tablets), cosmetics, and many other products. Without Sudanese gum arabic, numerous global consumer products would need to be reformulated. Sudan is also Africa's 3rd largest gold producer.

Trade Profile

Sudan runs a large and growing trade deficit. The civil war has devastated domestic production (agriculture in conflict zones, manufacturing, and services). Food imports have increased as domestic production collapsed. Gold revenues are significant but much gold leaves through informal channels. The economy has contracted by an estimated 20-40% since the war began in April 2023.

Top Exports

• Gum arabic (world dominant supplier)
• Gold
• Sesame
• Livestock
• Cotton
• Oil transit fees

Top Imports

• Petroleum products
• Machinery
• Consumer goods
• Food
• Vehicles
• Medicines

Export Destinations

• UAE
• China
• Saudi Arabia
• Egypt

Import Partners

• China
• India
• UAE
• Saudi Arabia
• Egypt

The world depends on Sudan for: Gum arabic (75-80% of world supply; essential for Coca-Cola, candy, pharmaceuticals), sesame, and gold

Sudan depends on the world for: Petroleum, machinery, food, medicines, and humanitarian aid

Global Role

Sudan's global significance in 2024-2026 is defined by the devastating civil war (world's largest internal displacement; Khartoum's destruction), the gum arabic supply chain critical for global consumer products, Africa's worst humanitarian crisis, and the legacy of the Darfur genocide and ICC indictments.

• Sudan's civil war (April 2023 onward) has displaced over 10 million people internally, making it the world's largest internal displacement crisis
• Khartoum, Sudan's capital, was devastated by RSF capture and sustained fighting; major neighborhoods destroyed, infrastructure collapsed
• Sudan produces 75-80% of the world's gum arabic; Coca-Cola's and many other companies' products depend on Sudanese supply
• Omar al-Bashir (President 1989-2019) was the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for genocide and war crimes in Darfur
• The Darfur genocide (2003-2008 peak) killed an estimated 200,000-400,000 people and displaced 2.5 million more
• RSF leader General Hemeti's forces built their original power base in the Janjaweed militia, the same force accused of the Darfur genocide
• Sudan was on the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list from 1993 to 2020 (removed after agreeing to normalize relations with Israel)

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is currently in charge of Sudan?

Sudan has no unified government. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan commands the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the internationally recognized Sovereignty Council, controlling parts of northern and eastern Sudan. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ('Hemeti') commands the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), controlling Khartoum, Darfur, and parts of Kordofan. Both generals had cooperated in a 2021 coup against Sudan's civilian transition government before turning against each other in April 2023.

What is happening in Sudan's civil war?

Sudan's civil war began on April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over 10 million internally, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Khartoum was severely damaged by sustained fighting. Darfur has again seen mass atrocities, with the RSF and allied militias accused of ethnically targeted killings. Multiple ceasefire attempts have failed.

What is gum arabic and why does Sudan matter?

Gum arabic is a natural gum derived from the sap of acacia trees that grow in Sudan's Sahel region. It is an essential ingredient in many consumer products: it stabilizes carbonation in Coca-Cola and Pepsi, prevents crystallization in M&Ms, Skittles, and other candies, is used as a tablet coating in pharmaceuticals, and appears in cosmetics, inks, and other products. Sudan produces approximately 75-80% of the world's gum arabic. The U.S. maintained comprehensive sanctions on Sudan for decades but specifically exempted gum arabic because no alternative supply exists.

Related Countries

• South Sudan: South Sudan separated from Sudan in 2011; South Sudan's oil exports through Sudan's pipeline; shared Nile water issues
• Egypt: Northern neighbor; Nile water sharing dispute; Egypt backs SAF; large Sudanese refugee population in Egypt
• Ethiopia: Eastern neighbor; border disputes; Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) affects Nile flows to Sudan and Egypt
• Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia has significant influence in Sudan; both RSF and SAF have sought Gulf support
• United Arab Emirates: UAE seen as backing RSF (Hemeti); significant investment in Sudan's gold sector
• China: Major trade partner; Chinese oil companies invested heavily in Sudan before South Sudan's secession; China has maintained relations through the conflict