VUCA
64/100
VUCA INDEX
SITUATION · NORTHEAST AFRICA · CONFLICT · HUMANITARIAN · DISPLACEMENT · ILLICIT-FINANCE

Sudan Civil War

VUCA INDEX 64/100INDEX EASING (-15/14D)CONFIDENCE 0.76
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.
NEWEST EVIDENCE“Renewed fighting in South Sudan during 2026 displaced more than 280,000 people, per Save the Children.” (assessed, confidence 0.70)
WATCH NEXTWill the number of internally displaced persons in Sudan exceed 10 million before 2026-12-31?
WHAT CHANGED · LAST 72H
UNICEF screens 1M+ under-fives for malnutrition in May; 24,400 SAM children admitted for treatment.
South Sudan fighting displaces 280,000+ in 2026 as conflict spills across borders.
IPC projects 7.8M South Sudanese — 55% of population — in Crisis or worse for April–July 2026.
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 70-6 VS BASELINE
90D OBSERVEDFORECAST · DASHED
DISPLACEMENT · THE HUMAN COST, MEASURED

People forced from home, by country of origin — refugees abroad and the internally displaced, with the year-over-year change. Slow, deliberate series: these are counted people, not headlines.

Sudaninternally displaced (IDMC via UNHCR)9.1M2.4M YOYYEAR-END 2025
Sudanrefugees abroad2.8M+726K YOYYEAR-END 2025

SOURCE: UNHCR REFUGEE DATA FINDER (IDP FIGURES ORIGINATE WITH IDMC) · ANNUAL STOCKS LAG THE PRESENT · VENEZUELANS ABROAD AND UNRWA-MANDATE PALESTINIANS ARE LARGELY OUTSIDE THE REFUGEE FIELD

US TRAVEL ADVISORIES · STATE DEPT RISK READ

Washington's official risk judgment for the countries in this theater. Levels move rarely and deliberately — a change is a policy signal in itself.

SudanLEVEL 4 · DO NOT TRAVELUPDATED 2026-05-14 · FULL TEXT

SOURCE: US DEPT OF STATE, BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS (PUBLIC DOMAIN) · UPDATED = STATE'S OWN TIMESTAMP · ADVISORIES ARE A US-GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE, NOT A NEUTRAL RISK INDEX

NARRATIVE SENTIMENT MONITOR

How coverage of this dynamic sounds, measured daily with an open lexicon over the last week's reporting — not what is true, and not our judgment. Rows split by worldview appear when sources align to a published faction (via desk-reviewed profiles or the weekly lexicon ledger); until then, the overall tone stands alone.

All coverageTONE NEGATIVE (-36 / −100…+100)▼ darkening 12 over 6d23 DOCS

DETERMINISTIC LEXICON · 7-DAY WINDOW, DAILY · OFF-TOPIC ITEMS EXCLUDED · HOVER DOC COUNTS FOR THE OUTLETS · SCORING ENGINE IGNORES THIS ENTIRELY

ANALYST VIEW · THREATS, COMPETITION & THE ODDS

A dedicated analyst reads this dynamic's data on a schedule and ranks what actually threatens the status quo — then proposes the dated, resolvable questions whose crowd and AI forecasts become the real measure of “how likely.” Assessments are desk-reviewed; the competition board below is straight from the numbers.

HOW LIKELY? · SCORED FORECASTS, NOT ASSERTIONS

The odds on the questions that would settle it — the crowd against the published AI baseline. Add yours on the forecasts page.

Will the number of internally displaced persons in Sudan exceed 10 million before 2026-12-31?
50%SEED
Will cumulative fighting-related displacement in South Sudan during 2026 exceed 400,000 people before 2026-12-31?
50%SEED
DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS · WHAT THIS TOUCHES, AND HOW
Chad's eastern border stabilitySahel Security CascadeSahel jihadist operating spaceGlobal Water SecurityEgyptian Nile water and food calculusRussian Mercenary Expansi…Russian paramilitary Africa footprintRed Sea Maritime Disrupti…Port Sudan Red Sea aid lifelineSouth Sudan hunger emergencyUAE–Egypt regional proxy rivalryCritical Mineral LeverageRegional artisanal gold supply chainTHIS SITUATION

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

MAY AFFECTChad's eastern border stability

BECAUSE RSF consolidation of Darfur pushes waves of refugees across the border into eastern Chad, overwhelming camps and straining a fragile Deby government reliant on the same UAE patron backing the RSF.

WATCH FOR UNHCR registered Sudanese refugee total in Chad crossing 1.2 million

MAY AFFECTSahel jihadist operating space— THROUGHSahel Security CascadeTHIRD-ORDER

BECAUSE Refugee overflow and RSF arms flows destabilize Chad, which anchors the Lake Chad basin, then weakens the buffer against JNIM/ISWAP expansion westward across the Sahel.

WATCH FOR ACLED violent-event count in Chad's Lac and Ouaddai provinces rising quarter-on-quarter

MAY AFFECTEgyptian Nile water and food calculus— THROUGHGlobal Water SecurityTHIRD-ORDER

BECAUSE SAF collapse or partition threatens Egypt's upstream security arrangements and refugee absorption, straining a Nile-dependent state already squeezed on water allocation and forcing harder GERD-era positioning.

WATCH FOR Egyptian cabinet statements on Sudan border security or Nile water quotas; Sudanese refugee numbers in Egypt

MAY AFFECTRussian paramilitary Africa footprint— THROUGHRussian Mercenary ExpansionTHIRD-ORDER

BECAUSE Sudan's gold revenue keeps both armies solvent, sustaining the smuggling networks that finance Russian Africa Corps operations, which then extend Moscow's Sahel and Red Sea reach.

WATCH FOR Reported Russian gold-export flows via Sudan or new Africa Corps deployments near Port Sudan

MAY AFFECTPort Sudan Red Sea aid lifeline— THROUGHRed Sea Maritime DisruptionTHIRD-ORDER

BECAUSE The war concentrates all government and humanitarian throughput on Port Sudan, whose exposure to Houthi-driven Red Sea shipping disruption compounds delivery risk for 33 million people in need.

WATCH FOR WFP/UN shipment volumes docking at Port Sudan; insurance war-risk premiums for Red Sea calls

MAY AFFECTSouth Sudan hunger emergency

BECAUSE Cross-border spillover and returnee flows plus severed trade routes deepen food insecurity where 55% already face IPC Phase 3+, tipping localized populations toward famine.

WATCH FOR IPC South Sudan reclassification of any county to Phase 4/5 in next projection

MAY AFFECTUAE–Egypt regional proxy rivalry

BECAUSE Alleged UAE backing of the RSF against Egyptian-aligned SAF hardens a Gulf-vs-Cairo split, raising the diplomatic cost of any Arab League or AU brokered ceasefire.

WATCH FOR Public UAE or Egyptian statements at AU/Arab League on Sudan; any joint mediation initiative announced or collapsing

MAY AFFECTRegional artisanal gold supply chain— THROUGHCritical Mineral LeverageTHIRD-ORDER

BECAUSE Both factions monetize seized mines and smuggle bullion through Gulf hubs, feeding conflict-gold into refining chains and pressuring critical-mineral due-diligence regimes.

WATCH FOR UAE gold-import discrepancy figures vs Sudan official exports; OECD/LBMA conflict-gold advisories

THEATER · NORTHEAST AFRICA · INFRASTRUCTURE
LOADING MAP…

The glow marks this situation's center — its size follows the current intensity (64/100). Every dot is a real place — hover it for what it is; red dots are damaged or offline. Drag to pan; the buttons on the map add layers.

PORTMILITARYMINE
FORECASTS · WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Will the number of internally displaced persons in Sudan exceed 10 million before 2026-12-31?
NO FORECASTS YET
0CROWD RANGE 4060100
REVISIONS · 6 WKS · N=0 · SEEDED
RESOLVES 2026-12-31
IOM DTM and UN agencies continue publishing Sudan displacement figures.
RESOLUTION CRITERIA

Resolves YES if an official IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) or UN OCHA/UNICEF situation report published on or before 2026-12-31 reports more than 10,000,000 internally displaced persons within Sudan. Resolves NO otherwise.

WHAT WOULD MOVE THIS NUMBER
·Continued SAF-RSF fighting in Kordofan
·Fallout from the el-Fasher capture
·Access for displacement tracking
·Any localized ceasefire or return movements
YOUR FORECAST50%
YOUR PREDICTION JOINS THE CROWD · N=0 ANALYSTS · REVISIONS KEEP FULL HISTORY
Will cumulative fighting-related displacement in South Sudan during 2026 exceed 400,000 people before 2026-12-31?
NO FORECASTS YET
0CROWD RANGE 4060100
REVISIONS · 6 WKS · N=0 · SEEDED
RESOLVES 2026-12-31
Humanitarian agencies continue tracking and reporting South Sudan displacement in 2026.
RESOLUTION CRITERIA

Resolves YES if a report from UN OCHA, IOM, or Save the Children published on or before 2026-12-31 states that more than 400,000 people have been displaced by fighting in South Sudan during 2026. Resolves NO otherwise.

WHAT WOULD MOVE THIS NUMBER
·Spillover from Sudan's war
·Intensity of internal South Sudanese clashes
·Cross-border refugee flows
·Humanitarian reporting access
YOUR FORECAST50%
YOUR PREDICTION JOINS THE CROWD · N=0 ANALYSTS · REVISIONS KEEP FULL HISTORY
WATCH NEXT
INDICATOR UNHCR registered Sudanese refugee total in Chad crossing 1.2 million(moves Chad's eastern border stability)
INDICATOR ACLED violent-event count in Chad's Lac and Ouaddai provinces rising quarter-on-quarter(moves Sahel jihadist operating space)
INDICATOR Egyptian cabinet statements on Sudan border security or Nile water quotas; Sudanese refugee numbers in Egypt(moves Egyptian Nile water and food calculus)
INDICATOR Reported Russian gold-export flows via Sudan or new Africa Corps deployments near Port Sudan(moves Russian paramilitary Africa footprint)
WHY THIS SCORE · THE ENGINE'S OWN INPUTS
64-4 / 24H-15 / 7D-15 / 30D
CONFIDENCE 76%UPDATED 2026-07-13 08:39Z

Attention, not events: reporting volume is running above its recent norm (index down 15 this week) — no measured world-state signal moved.

VOLATILITY75
how fast events are arriving vs the norm
UNCERTAINTY47
how much the evidence disagrees or hedges
COMPLEXITY55
how many actors and linkages are in play
AMBIGUITY35
how contested the interpretation is
MOMENTUM -15 / 14DHORIZON 90D0 CLAIMS · 0 EVIDENCE ITEMS
WHAT'S DRIVING IT
WORLD-STATE measured signals about the situation itself
  • +forecasters genuinely disagree on open questions
COVERAGE the information environment — attention, not events
  • +reporting flow above its 28-day norm
EVIDENCE QUALITY how solid the read is
  • +52 sources fresh within 48h

Reading this block: score change = the VUCA composite vs prior periods (24H/7D/30D). Momentum (on cards) = directional pressure over 14 days — a dynamic can be up on 14 days and flat this week. Coverage measures reporting volume, not world events. Confidence is our confidence in the assessment, not in any outcome.

SIGNAL MIX: 37% LIVE MEASUREMENT · 63% CALIBRATED BASELINE (SET FROM VERIFIED HISTORICAL RECORDS WHEN COVERAGE OPENED). EVERY DOSSIER STARTS BASELINE-HEAVY AND SHIFTS TO LIVE MEASUREMENT AUTOMATICALLY — FULL WEIGHT AFTER ~30 MEASURED DAYS. METHOD: /METHODOLOGY.

ACTORS · 6
STRUCTURED DATA · PRIMARY SOURCES

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

RAW SIGNAL · LIVE
INGESTION V0 · RELEVANCE-FILTERED
UNVERIFIED SIGNAL · 8 ITEMS NOT YET CONFIRMED ON-TOPICSomalia: El Niño threatens deadly floods and disease across East Africa and Asiareliefweb.int · JUL 13 · 11:03ZSouth Sudan: Mortality and Child Malnutrition in Maiwut County, Upper Nile State - March 2026reliefweb.int · JUL 13 · 03:22ZSudan Humanitarian Update (May - June 2026)reliefweb.int · JUL 12 · 09:50ZSouth Sudan Health Cluster Dashboard (May 2026)reliefweb.int · JUL 11 · 21:02Z‘We are the lost generation of Sudan’: Students in exilealjazeera.com · JUL 11 · 04:41ZSudan Emergency IDP Site Mapping: Kordofan Region (May 2026)reliefweb.int · JUL 10 · 02:30ZUNHCR Nigeria Refugees & Asylum-seekers Dashboard - 1 July 2026reliefweb.int · JUL 9 · 14:03ZUNHCR Sudan - Eritrean Refugees in Sudan Dashboard (as of 30 June 2026)reliefweb.int · JUL 9 · 14:03Z

RAW FEED — NOT YET EXTRACTED INTO CLAIMS · OFF-TOPIC ITEMS ARE FILTERED BUT KEPT FOR AUDIT · LINKS LEAVE VUCA NEWS

COMMON QUESTIONS
What is happening with Sudan Civil War?

RSF consolidates Darfur after el-Fasher's fall; SAF holds the center as famine spreads and the war splits Sudan in two. The 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.

Why does sudan civil war matter?

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.

Will the number of internally displaced persons in Sudan exceed 10 million before 2026-12-31?

This question is open for forecasting but has no submissions yet (resolves 2026-12-31). We show no number until real forecasters commit one.

How serious is the situation right now?

The VUCA index reads 64/100 (0 = calm, 100 = critical) and is easing over the last 14 days. The score is computed daily from measured inputs and explains itself on this page.

How does VUCA News know this?

Sudan Civil War carries 12 published claims, each linked to its evidence chain and verification state. Nothing publishes without passing the verification pipeline; the method is public at vucanews.com/methodology.

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