VUCA
77/100
VUCA INDEX
SITUATION · NORTHEAST AFRICA · CONFLICT · HUMANITARIAN · DISPLACEMENT · ILLICIT-FINANCE

Sudan Civil War

VUCA INDEX 77/100INDEX STEADY (±0/14D)CONFIDENCE 0.50
IN 30 SECONDS
WHAT THIS ISThe SAF-RSF war has produced the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis, with confirmed famine determinations across multiple locations. The RSF's capture of el-Fasher has shifted fighting to Kordofan and cemented a de facto partition, while both sides are sustained by gold revenue and external sponsors — UAE backing alleged for the RSF, Egypt aligned with the SAF. Port Sudan remains the government and aid lifeline as the conflict spills into Chad and South Sudan.
LATEST CHANGERSF consolidates Darfur after el-Fasher's fall; SAF holds the center as famine spreads and the war splits Sudan in two.
WHY IT MATTERSThis matters because Sudan has fractured into two de facto states—RSF-held Darfur and SAF-held center—producing the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis, with confirmed famine and the war now bleeding into Chad and South Sudan.
WATCH NEXTUNHCR refugee counts into Chad crossing new thresholds or cross-border clashes reported in 2026.
WHAT CHANGED · LAST 72H
RSF seized el-Fasher, completing control of Darfur and pushing the front into Kordofan
IPC famine confirmed in multiple locations amid the largest displacement crisis on record
External sponsorship and gold smuggling sustain both belligerents, entrenching a de facto two-Sudan split
WHY IT MATTERS

This matters because Sudan has fractured into two de facto states—RSF-held Darfur and SAF-held center—producing the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis, with confirmed famine and the war now bleeding into Chad and South Sudan.

WHY NOW

In mid-2026 the RSF's capture of el-Fasher has cemented partition and pushed fighting into Kordofan, while gold money and rival foreign sponsors keep both armies fueled with no ceasefire in sight.

INTENSITY · OBSERVED + FORECAST
BASELINE 75+2 VS BASELINE
90D OBSERVEDFORECAST · DASHED
VUCA COMPONENTS
Volatility80
Uncertainty72
Complexity85
Ambiguity68
MOMENTUM ±0 / 14DHORIZON 90D0 CLAIMS · 0 EVIDENCE ITEMS
THEATER · NORTHEAST AFRICA · INFRASTRUCTURE
LOADING MAP…
BLOOM = CURRENT INTENSITY 77RED = DAMAGED / OFFLINETHERMAL = NASA FIRMS 24HPORTMILITARYMINEDRAG TO PAN
DOSSIER DEVELOPING

This situation is actively monitored. Its narrative and claims build here as sources are ingested and each claim is verified — evidence first, always.

See a complete dossier: Ebola Outbreak Tracking
TIMELINE

Event history for this dynamic is still being curated. The current assessment is built from the claims, sources, and score movement on this page.

NOW
RSF consolidates Darfur after el-Fasher's fall; SAF holds the center as famine spreads and the war splits Sudan in two.
WATCH
UNHCR refugee counts into Chad crossing new thresholds or cross-border clashes reported in 2026
ACTORS · 6
DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS · WHAT THIS TOUCHES, AND HOW
Sahel Security CascadeRegional spillover into Chad and South SudanGulf-state proxy competitionUS Dollar SecurityIllicit gold financingRed Sea Maritime Disrupti…Red Sea aid and shipping lifelineFamine mortalityTHIS SITUATION

VIOLET NODES = THIRD-ORDER (PROPAGATES THROUGH ANOTHER TRACKED SITUATION) · MECHANISMS & WATCH INDICATORS BELOW

MAY AFFECTRegional spillover into Chad and South Sudan— THROUGHSahel Security CascadeTHIRD-ORDER

BECAUSE RSF consolidation of Darfur pushes refugees, fighters and weapons across porous borders, destabilizing already-fragile neighbors.

WATCH FOR UNHCR refugee counts into Chad crossing new thresholds or cross-border clashes reported in 2026

MAY AFFECTGulf-state proxy competition

BECAUSE Alleged UAE backing of the RSF against Egypt-aligned SAF turns Sudan into a contest between outside sponsors, prolonging the war.

WATCH FOR UN Panel of Experts findings or documented arms flows to RSF/SAF in 2026

MAY AFFECTIllicit gold financing— THROUGHUS Dollar SecurityTHIRD-ORDER

BECAUSE Both sides fund the war through gold smuggled to the Gulf, sustaining combat and evading sanctions-based pressure.

WATCH FOR Sudan gold-export tracking or new sanctions on RSF/SAF gold networks in 2026

MAY AFFECTRed Sea aid and shipping lifeline— THROUGHRed Sea Maritime DisruptionTHIRD-ORDER

BECAUSE Port Sudan is the sole government and humanitarian lifeline, so any disruption there chokes both aid delivery and regional access.

WATCH FOR Any attack, blockade or capacity drop at Port Sudan reported in 2026

MAY AFFECTFamine mortality

BECAUSE Confirmed famine determinations across multiple sites mean continued fighting and aid-access denial translate directly into mass death.

WATCH FOR New IPC Phase 5 famine classifications or mortality-rate updates in 2026

WATCH NEXT
INDICATOR UNHCR refugee counts into Chad crossing new thresholds or cross-border clashes reported in 2026(moves Regional spillover into Chad and South Sudan)
INDICATOR UN Panel of Experts findings or documented arms flows to RSF/SAF in 2026(moves Gulf-state proxy competition)
INDICATOR Sudan gold-export tracking or new sanctions on RSF/SAF gold networks in 2026(moves Illicit gold financing)
INDICATOR Any attack, blockade or capacity drop at Port Sudan reported in 2026(moves Red Sea aid and shipping lifeline)

QUESTIONS ARE SCORED — BRIER + LOG, PUBLIC TRACK RECORD ON /ACCURACY

STRUCTURED DATA · PRIMARY SOURCES

PRIMARY DATASETS · TRACKED REFERENCE · AUTOMATED SIGNAL EXTRACTION IN A LATER PHASE

RELATED DYNAMICS