the primary responsibilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are internal security, border control, and countering potential external threats from its neighbors; SAF operations have traditionally been supported by militia and paramilitary forces, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF); in the Spring of 2023, heavy fighting broke out between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF, particularly around the capital Khartoum and in the western region of Darfur, amid disputes over an internationally-backed plan for a transition towards civilian rule; fighting has since spread and continued into 2024 with reports of atrocities, ethnic cleansing, food insecurity, heavy civilian casualties, and millions of internally displaced persons
the Sudanese military has been a dominant force in the ruling of the country since its independence in 1956; in addition, the military has a large role in the country's economy, reportedly controlling over 200 commercial companies, including businesses involved in gold mining, rubber production, agriculture, and meat exports
Military and security service personnel strengths | prior to the outbreak of fighting between the SAF and the RSF in 2023, size estimates for Sudanese armed forces varied widely: up to 200,000 SAF personnel; up to 100,000 RSF fighters; up to 80,000 Central Reserve Police (2023) |
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Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the SAF's inventory includes a mix of Chinese, Russian, Soviet-era, and domestically produced weapons systems; in recent years, China and Russia have been the leading arms providers; Sudan has one of the largest defense industries in Africa, which includes state-owned companies with military involvement; it mostly manufactures weapons systems under license from China, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine (2023) |
Military service age and obligation | 18-33 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service for men and women; 12-24 month service obligation (2023). note: implementation of conscription is reportedly uneven |
Military deployments | . |
Military expenditures | |
Military Expenditures 2021 | 1% of GDP (2021 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2020 | 1% of GDP (2020 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2019 | 2.4% of GDP (2019 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2018 | 2% of GDP (2018 est.) |
Military Expenditures 2017 | 3.6% of GDP (2017 est.) |
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