Sudan: UNSC to discuss protection of civilians & humanitarian consequences of ongoing conflict in N. Kordofan, Blue Nile. 200K displaced across Kordofan

From Security Council Report

What's In Blue 
Posted Friday 21 August 2026 - excerpts:

Sudan: Briefing

On Monday morning (24 August), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on Sudan. Denmark, the Council president in August, requested the meeting to discuss the protection of civilians and the humanitarian consequences of the ongoing conflict. Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, is expected to chair the meeting. [...]

DiCarlo is likely to provide an overview of the deteriorating security situation, which has been particularly volatile in North Kordofan state. El Obeid, the state capital, has faced mounting pressure amid a significant build-up of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters around the city. Repeated drone strikes have targeted critical civilian infrastructure in and around El Obeid, including power and fuel facilities, forcing medical facilities and water stations to shut down. As the hostilities have continued, displacement sites in the city have expanded with people fleeing violence in surrounding areas. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 200,000 people have been displaced across the wider Kordofan region since late 2025. (For more information, see our 4 August What’s in Blue story.)

In Blue Nile state, the security and humanitarian situation deteriorated following the expansion of fighting around the town of Kurmuk and other areas along the Ethiopian border. After the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) retook control of Kurmuk from the RSF in July, media reports indicated that the SAF had discovered a mass grave containing the remains of 25 people, including women, children, and hospital staff. Earlier this month, hostilities broke out again in both Kurmuk and the town of Geisan, killing civilians and driving displacement. Media reports indicated that the RSF, together with the allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, had retaken the towns. The fighting has raised concerns about the further regionalisation of the conflict, particularly amid allegations of external support to the RSF. These include claims that Ethiopian territory has been used as a supply conduit for RSF operations and that the latest RSF offensive in Blue Nile was launched from inside Ethiopia.

On Monday, the briefers and some Council members may highlight how the increasing use of drones and other advanced weaponry is intensifying civilian suffering and expanding the geographic reach of the conflict. Attacks are increasingly affecting populated areas and critical infrastructure. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), armed drones accounted for 80 percent of civilian deaths in the first half of this year, hitting markets, health facilities, and other civilian sites.

DiCarlo might describe the efforts by regional and international interlocutors to identify avenues for de-escalation and bring an end to the conflict. In late July and early August, the Quintet—comprising the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the UN—held consultations in Addis Ababa with Sudanese political blocs and parties, including representatives of the Coordination of National Forces, Democratic Bloc, National Movement Forces, and Umma Party. The latest discussions built on the Quintet’s initial engagement with a group of Sudanese civilian actors on the sidelines of the third international Sudan conference, held in Berlin on 15 April, and further consultations in early June.

On 10 August, media reports indicated that SAF leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had held consultations with political and civil society actors aimed at preparing for a comprehensive intra-Sudanese dialogue conference. The discussions reportedly resulted in agreement on several confidence-building measures, including the suspension of charges carrying the death penalty against some political figures—mainly those associated with former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok—and on the establishment of a preparatory committee for the conference.

On 16 and 17 August, a delegation of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) undertook a field visit to Sudan, during which it met with senior Sudanese officials, including Burhan and Transitional Prime Minister Kamil El-Tayeb Idris. Discussions covered the country’s political, security, socioeconomic, and humanitarian situation, as well as governance challenges and efforts towards an inclusive national dialogue. The AU has sought to reopen its liaison office in Sudan to facilitate engagement with stakeholders at different levels and provide technical support to the country. (Sudan’s membership in the AU was suspended in the wake of the country’s 2021 military coup d’état.) [...]

View original: 

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2026/08/sudan-briefing-8.php

_____

Further reading

Madamasr.com - August 21, 2026

Sudan Nashra: Burhan offers temporary immunity for internal dialogue participants | AU Peace, Security Council in Khartoum | Khartoum, Riyadh establish bilateral coordination council | Second-largest single group RSF defection arrive in Northern State

Photo: TSC Chair Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and a delegation from the African Union’s Peace and Security Council meet in Khartoum, August 16. Courtesy: The TSC

https://www.madamasr.com/en/2026/08/21/news/politics/sudan-nashra-burhan-offers-temporary-immunity-for-internal-dialogue-participants-au-peace-security-council-in-khartoum-khartoum-riyadh-establish-bilateral-coordination-council-second-largest/

___

Madamasr.com - August 14, 2026

Sudan Nashra: In cross-border offensive, RSF seizes Blue Nile’s Geisan, recaptures Kurmuk | Military repels major RSF attack on North Kordofan’s Gabra al-Sheikh | After clashes inside Kauda, SPLM-N-Otoro fighting spreads to nearby villages | Kordofan governor in RSF-led govt defects | Back-to-back Sudanese visits to Juba in mutual push to contain border, Abyei tensions

Photo: RSF fighters and their allies, the SPLM-N (Hilu) forces led by Joseph Toka, attack the town of Geisan in Blue Nile state, August 11. Courtesy: Sudan War Monitor

https://www.madamasr.com/en/2026/08/14/news/politics/sudan-nashra-in-cross-border-offensive-rsf-seizes-blue-niles-geisan-recaptures-kurmuk-military-repels-major-rsf-attack-on-north-kordofans-gabra-al-sheikh-after-clashes-inside/

Ends

Security situation in Sudan's Darfur, Kordofan, Blue Nile state, repeated drone strikes targeted in El Obeid

From Security Council Report

What's In Blue 
Posted Tuesday 04 August 2026 - full copy:

Sudan: Closed Consultations

Tomorrow afternoon (5 August), Security Council members will convene for closed consultations on Sudan. Denmark and the UK (the penholder on the file) requested the meeting to receive an update on the humanitarian situation in the country, specifically in light of the ongoing violence in the Darfur and the Kordofan regions as well as in Blue Nile state. In requesting the meeting, these members highlighted the impact of the hostilities on civilians, including continued restrictions on humanitarian operations and attacks on civilian infrastructure that have disrupted essential services, impeded the delivery of medical care and humanitarian assistance, and further exacerbated humanitarian conditions. The anticipated briefer is Lisa Doughten, the Director of the Financing and Outreach Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The security situation in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, remains alarming. The city is a strategic gateway linking the capital, Khartoum, with the Greater Darfur region and serves as a critical logistical hub for humanitarian operations across Kordofan. Recent reports indicate a significant build-up of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied fighters around the city, accompanied by intensified drone strikes and shelling. OCHA has reported that repeated drone strikes have targeted critical civilian infrastructure in and around El Obeid, including power, fuel, and water facilities, as well as displacement sites. These developments have prompted growing concern among regional and international actors, who have warned of the risk of widespread violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) and stressed the need for urgent action to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. (For more information, see our 25 June What’s in Blue story.)

Meanwhile, in late July, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) launched a major ground offensive in North Kordofan and announced that it had recaptured the Al Sadarat highway and five key towns along the route, including Bara, Um Sayala, and Gebrat al-Sheikh, following two days of intense clashes with the RSF. The highway, which runs north of El Obeid and southwest towards Khartoum, had been a critical corridor for the RSF and, according to analysts, enabled the group to sustain pressure on El Obeid and constrain SAF operations across North Kordofan. The SAF’s recapture of the corridor restores an important supply and movement route, significantly improving its ability to reinforce positions around El Obeid. At tomorrow’s meeting, some Council members may seek Doughten’s assessment of what these developments could mean for humanitarian access.

At the same time, fighting has intensified on other fronts in North and West Darfur states. According to media reports, the RSF has increased drone strikes targeting the town of Tina in North Darfur, which borders Chad, as part of a broader offensive to capture the SAF’s remaining positions in Darfur, including Tina, Um Baru, and Karnoi. On 21 July, at least 21 civilians were reportedly killed and dozens injured when an RSF drone strike hit a vital water source in Tina. In a 23 July update, the international non-profit organisation Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) recorded 63 conflict-related fatalities across the Tina, Karnoi, and Um Baru localities since June, highlighting the intensification of fighting along Sudan’s border with Chad.

In a 3 August press release, OCHA noted that a 2 August drone strike in the village of Ghara al Zawiya in North Darfur state reportedly caused dozens of casualties, although the number of civilian casualties could not be independently verified. Media reports citing the Emergency Lawyers Group, a Sudanese human rights monitoring group, attributed the strike to the SAF, saying that it hit a traditional court session—during which people had gathered outdoors to attend hearings on local cases and disputes—and killed at least 35 people.

In Blue Nile state, the security and humanitarian situation deteriorated following the expansion of fighting around the town of Kurmuk and other areas along the Ethiopian border, reportedly displacing approximately 100,000 people across the state, many of whom have sought refuge in the capital, Ed Damazin. In early July, following intense clashes, the SAF retook control of Kurmuk from the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. The RSF and the SPLM-N al-Hilu faction had captured Kurmuk in March, using the strategically located town as a base for operations in southern Blue Nile. The fighting has raised concerns over further regionalisation of the conflict, particularly amid allegations of external support to the RSF, including reports of a training and drone infrastructure facility linked to the group in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region and claims that Ethiopian territory has been used as a supply conduit for RSF operations.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Ed Damazin and other parts of Blue Nile state has continued to deteriorate, with heavy rainfall and flooding compounding the challenges faced by displaced populations. Thousands of people living in displacement sites and temporary shelters have been affected, with several shelters reportedly damaged or destroyed by flooding. Humanitarian actors have also raised concerns over the outbreak of disease amid pressure on already limited health, water, and sanitation services.

More broadly, the health crisis has continued to worsen across Sudan, with multiple disease outbreaks emerging amid the collapse of healthcare services, particularly in conflict-affected areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new wave of cholera, voicing particular concern about vulnerable populations, including in besieged areas such as El Obeid. In a 27 July press release, OCHA reported more than 2,000 suspected cholera cases and 170 related deaths since May, with the majority of cases recorded in the Kordofan region. OCHA has also noted that the WHO and Sudanese health authorities are responding to a growing dengue fever outbreak, with more than 1,000 cases and five related deaths reported in Blue Nile state in July, alongside more than 130 cases in South Kordofan state.

At tomorrow’s meeting, Doughten is likely to note that developments in Blue Nile, Darfur, and Kordofan underscore the devastating impact of attacks on civilian infrastructure—including healthcare facilities, water systems, and electricity networks—which have disrupted essential services and hindered the delivery of humanitarian assistance. She may also highlight how the increasing use of drones and other advanced weaponry in the conflict is intensifying civilian suffering, with attacks increasingly affecting populated areas and critical infrastructure.

Doughten and several Council members are likely to reiterate calls for the cessation of hostilities and express support for efforts to achieve a humanitarian truce. They may raise broader protection concerns and emphasise the imperative of ensuring accountability for such acts. Some members may also underline the need for a Council response amid the spiralling security and humanitarian situation. They might emphasise the disproportionate impact of the conflict on women and girls, drawing attention to reported incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence.

Doughten may also provide an update on efforts by the UN and its partners to respond to the unfolding crisis and highlight the persistent impediments to humanitarian access in regions where needs are rapidly escalating. She may call for enhanced and flexible funding for the humanitarian response in Sudan and stress the urgent need for full, rapid, and sustained humanitarian access. At the time of writing, Sudan’s 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), requiring $2.87 billion, was only 40.4 percent funded.

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2026/08/sudan-closed-consultations-12.php

Ends

UK announces Sudan sanctions package targeting illicit gold and finance networks sustaining the war. UK calls for UN arms embargo to cover El Obeid

"The UK has sanctioned those suspected of being linked to financing, procurement, and commercial networks fuelling the Sudan conflict.

The sanctions come as the UK and international partners are on red alert, monitoring the deteriorating situation in El Obeid, where the RSF is building up surge forces around a city already under immense humanitarian pressure." See list of sanctioned below.

Press release

From Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and 

The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP

Published Thursday 16 July 2026 - full copy:

UK sanctions illicit gold networks fuelling Sudan’s war amid crisis around El Obeid

The UK has sanctioned those suspected of being linked to financing, procurement, and commercial networks fuelling the Sudan conflict.

• UK announces Sudan sanctions package targeting illicit gold and finance networks sustaining the war
• UK calls for UN arms embargo to cover El Obeid as city on the precipice of major atrocity 
• Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says UK will tackle those fuelling the conflict.

The UK has today announced sanctions targeting the conflict gold trade in Sudan, procurement networks and financial facilitators that are fuelling Sudan’s war.

Sudan’s booming gold industry is the engine of its war economy. While official gold exports were worth $1.5 billion in 2024 and 2025, the true value of the sector is estimated to be several times higher, with billions of dollars’ worth of gold smuggled out of Sudan each year through illicit channels, helping finance weapons procurement, military operations and the activities of armed groups.

These measures target eleven individuals and entities suspected of being linked to the financing, procurement and commercial networks supporting the RSF or the SAF and fuelling Sudan’s conflict. All are Sudanese but they trade internationally including in the gold markets in Dubai and Hong Kong. 

At the centre of the package is Sudanese national Abu Dharr, suspected of being a notorious RSF financier and procurement facilitator. He is suspected of having helped fund and sustain RSF operations from beyond Sudan’s borders through a web of real estate, conflict gold, and holding companies based in Dubai.

Vast quantities of Sudanese gold continue to be monetised before entering global markets, making it a critical gateway for revenues generated by Sudan’s illicit gold sector.

By targeting these companies and facilitators, the UK is exposing and disrupting key commercial networks that help convert Sudan’s gold wealth into revenue that sustains the conflict.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

“The people of Sudan continue to pay the price for a war fuelled not only by guns and fighters, but by illicit flows of gold and finance to fill the war chests on both sides. These sanctions are targeting Sudan’s war economy and they will shine a light on those who seek to profit from these illegal shadow networks. 

“As the world watches the deeply alarming build-up around El Obeid, we continue to call on the RSF to halt their assault. And we are making clear that those enabling atrocities, from the battlefield to the boardroom, will be held accountable.”

The sanctions come as the UK and international partners are on red alert, monitoring the deteriorating situation in El Obeid, where the RSF is building up surge forces around a city already under immense humanitarian pressure.  

The UK has warned that El Obeid is at risk of becoming the scene of another mass atrocity, following the horrors witnessed in El Fasher. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for the UN arms embargo to be extended to reach El Obeid.

Illicit gold will be a priority theme at the UK’s Illicit Finance Summit, due to take place in London in December 2026. The Summit will bring together governments, civil society and the private sector to build an international coalition to tackle flows of dirty money around the world, including the trade in illicit gold.

ENDS.

Notes to Editor.

• Foreign Secretary Statement to the House of Commons with UN arms embargo call to reach El Obeid.

• List of sanctioned.

· Abu Dharr Abdul Nabi Habiballa Ahmmed – RSF financier and procurement facilitator suspected of using a network of companies to secure funding, move money and support RSF operations.

· Prodigious Real Estate Management Supervision Services – Sudanese UAE-based company suspected of being part of Abu Dharr’s commercial network used to support RSF financing activities.

· Mazin Fadlalla – RSF-linked procurement operative suspected of being involved in acquiring funding, equipment and materiel for the RSF.

· Ahmed Hashim – RSF- linked procurement operative suspected of being involved in sourcing funding and supplies for the RSF.

· Natwest Logistics – Sudanese UAE-based company suspected of being used by Mazin Fadlalla and Ahmed Hashim to support RSF procurement and logistics activities.

· Aoun Commercial Brokers – Sudanese UAE-based company suspected of being used by Mazin Fadlalla and Ahmed Hashim to facilitate procurement and financial transactions for the RSF.

· Ahmad Abdalla – Procurement operative linked to the SAF and Defence Industries Systems (DIS), suspected of being involved in securing weapons, equipment and funding for the SAF.

·Portex Trade Limited – Sudanese Hong Kong-based company suspected of being used by Ahmad Abdalla to support SAF procurement activity and evade existing sanctions restrictions.

· Omdurman Mining – Sudanese state-owned mining company suspected of generating gold revenues that support the SAF’s war effort.

· Ariab Mining Company – Sudanese state-owned mining company suspected of involvement in illicit gold activities that generate revenue for the SAF.

· Sudamin Company Ltd – Sudanese state-owned mining company linked to Sudan’s gold sector and suspected of channelling revenue from conflict gold to both the SAF and RSF, including through past links to sanctioned company Al Junaid.

View original: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-sanctions-illicit-gold-networks-fuelling-sudans-war-amid-crisis-around-el-obeid

Ends.

Reuters Exclusive: Pakistan nears $1.5 billion deal to supply weapons, jets to Sudan, sources say

The deal includes attack aircraft and drones, sources say. Jets and drones could revive Sudan army's fortunes. Pakistan's weapons industry is on the rise. It was a "done deal", said Aamir Masood, a retired Pakistani air marshal who continues to be briefed on air force matters. Read full story.

From Reuters

By Saad Sayeed and Mubasher Bukhari

Published Friday 09 January 2026 1:35 PM GMT 

Updated 09 January 2026 - full copy:

Exclusive: Pakistan nears $1.5 billion deal to supply weapons, jets to Sudan, sources say

Pakistan Air Force's JF-17 Thunder jets fly past during the sea phase of Pakistan Navy's Multinational Exercise AMAN-23, in the North Arabian Sea near Karachi, Pakistan, February 13, 2023

Summary

• Deal includes attack aircraft and drones, sources say
• Jets and drones could revive Sudan army's fortunes
• Pakistan's weapons industry is on the rise

ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan is in the final phases of striking a $1.5-billion deal to supply weapons and jets to Sudan, a former top air force official and three sources said, promising a major boost for Sudan's army, battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Their conflict has stoked the world's worst humanitarian crisis for more than 2-1/2 years, drawing in myriad foreign interests, and threatening to fragment the strategic Red Sea country, a major gold producer.

The deal with Pakistan encompasses 10 Karakoram-8 light attack aircraft, more than 200 drones for scouting and kamikaze attacks, and advanced air defence systems, said two of the three sources with knowledge of the matter, who all sought anonymity.

It was a "done deal", said Aamir Masood, a retired Pakistani air marshal who continues to be briefed on air force matters.

Besides the Karakoram-8 jets, it includes Super Mushshak training aircraft, and perhaps some coveted JF-17 fighters developed jointly with China and produced in Pakistan, he added, without giving figures or a delivery schedule.

Pakistan's military and its defence ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for Sudan’s army did not immediately respond to a message requesting comment.

Assistance from Pakistan, especially drones and jets, could help Sudan's army regain the air supremacy it had towards the start of its war with the RSF, which has increasingly used drones to gain territory, eroding the army's position.

Sudan's army accuses the RSF of being supplied by the United Arab Emirates, which has denied supplying weapons.

POSSIBILITY OF SAUDI BACKING

The sources did not say how the deal was being funded but Masood said it was possible the finances would come from Saudi Arabia.

"Saudi Arabia may favour and support all the favourable regimes in Gulf for procurement of Pakistani military equipment and training," he said.

One of the sources said the Saudis brokered the deal but added there was no indication they were paying for the weapons. Another source said Saudi was not providing funds.

Reuters has reported that Islamabad is in talks with Riyadh for a defence deal that could be worth between $2 billion and $4 billion.

Masood said the weapons for Sudan could be included in such an agreement, without confirming discussions with Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are part of the U.S.-led quad grouping of nations that has tried to push Sudan's army and the RSF towards peace talks.

On recent visits, Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan requested Saudi assistance in the war, according to Sudanese and Egyptian sources.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are embroiled in a major feud sparked by recent events in Yemen.

The two most powerful countries in the Gulf have sharp differences on a range of volatile Middle East issues, from geopolitics to oil output.

Their difference burst into the open with an advance of UAE-backed southern Yemeni separatists in early December that brought them into conflict with Saudi-backed forces.

PAKISTAN'S DEFENCE AMBITIONS

The deal is another feather in the cap for Pakistan's growing defence sector, which has drawn growing interest and investment, particularly since its jets were deployed in a conflict with India last year.

Last month, Islamabad struck a weapons deal worth more than $4 billion with the Libyan National Army, officials said, for one of the South Asian nation's largest arms sales, which includes JF-17 fighter jets and training aircraft.

Pakistan has also held talks with Bangladesh on a defence deal that could includes the Super Mushshak training jets and JF-17s, as ties improve ties with Dhaka.

The government sees Pakistan's burgeoning industry as a catalyst to secure long-term economic stability.

Pakistan is now in a $7-billion IMF programme, following a short-term deal to avert a sovereign default in 2023. It won IMF support after Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies provided financial and deposit rollovers.

Reporting by Saad Sayeed in Islamabad and Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Additional reporting by Ariba Shahid, Khalid Abdelaziz and Ahmed Shalaby; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

View original:  https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/pakistan-nears-15-billion-deal-supply-weapons-jets-sudan-sources-say-2026-01-09/

Ends