Global Conflicts Reach 80-Year High in 2025 as Sudan War Crimes Complaint Filed
Global armed conflicts reached an 80-year high in 2025 with record deaths, as new war crimes complaints emerged from Sudan's three-year war, Israel restricted medical evacuations from Gaza, and the Iran-Israel conflict continued with Tehran poised to prolong the crisis. The number of armed conflicts worldwide hit its highest level since World War II in 2025, while conflict-related deaths reached their highest in more than three decades according to Uppsala University researchers. [4]
Record Global Conflicts in 2025
The number of armed conflicts worldwide reached its highest level since World War II last year, while conflict-related deaths climbed to their deadliest levels in more than three decades, according to a new study by researchers at Sweden's Uppsala University. [4] This finding establishes the scale of ongoing violence across multiple regions, including the protracted fighting in Sudan and the standoff involving Iran and Israel. Researchers documented the surge in both the count of active conflicts and the resulting fatalities, underscoring how 2025 marked a reversal of earlier declines in global instability. [4]
First RSF War Crimes Complaint Filed in Kenya
Victims of alleged atrocities linked to the war in Sudan on Tuesday asked prosecutors in Kenya to investigate allegations of torture and sexual violence by members of a notorious paramilitary group. [1] It is the first attempt to prosecute members of the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, the paramilitary group fighting against the Sudanese military for over three years, outside Sudan. [1] The complaint filed by the global legal organization Legal Action Worldwide details torture and sexual violence committed by RSF members at various locations in and around Khartoum between April 2023 and March 2025 when the Sudanese capital was controlled by the paramilitaries. [1] The 12 victims are urging Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions to approve charges against 10 members of the RSF, some of whom are believed to be residing in Kenya. [1] According to this latest complaint, the victims were held in inhumane conditions, with little or no food, limited access to water, and inadequate sanitation facilities. [1] They allege that they were beaten, burned, suffocated, subjected to electric shocks, and sexually abused, including through rape. [1] Some were reportedly forced to transport dead bodies from detention facilities. [1] Legal Action Worldwide founder Antonia Mulvey said Kenya should consider prosecuting the alleged crimes under the country’s International Crimes Act of 2008. [1] Willis Otieno, a lawyer in Kenya who filed the complaint locally, said there was information suggesting that some of the persons of interest have links to Kenya and that the country possesses the legal framework necessary to investigate and prosecute such crimes. [1]
Sudan War Death Toll and Atrocities
The RSF has been accused by rights organizations of committing atrocities amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. [1] The war killed at least 59,000 people over the course of three years, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a U.S.-based war tracking group which said the toll was almost certainly undercut given the difficulties in reporting. [1] The conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with about 34 million people — almost two out of every three Sudanese — needing assistance, according to the U.N. [1] The RSF has been accused by human rights organizations and the United Nations of committing atrocities during the conflict that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in Darfur, where the group maintains a strong presence. [1] The RSF has in the past been accused of mass killing, gang rape, and ethnicity-motivated crimes, most recently in October during an assault on the Darfur city of el-Fasher, in which over 6,000 people were killed in three days. [1] U.N.-commissioned experts have described the offensive as bearing the “hallmarks of genocide.” [1] In one of its last decisions, the Biden administration accused the group of genocide and imposed sanctions of its commanders, including Dagalo. [1]
Gaza Medical Access Blocked by Israel
Gaza’s Health Ministry has accused Israel of preventing more than 16,500 Palestinians in need of medical treatment abroad from leaving the besieged, wartorn enclave despite a nominal “ceasefire” being in place since October last year. [3] The ministry warned in a statement on Tuesday that Israel was killing patients with delays, after its genocidal war on the enclave killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians since October 2023. [3] Maher Shamia, the acting undersecretary of Gaza’s Health Ministry, said authorities were only allowing Palestinians to use it to leave the territory three days a week, while allocating just one day a week for medical evacuations at the Karem Abu Salem crossing, which connects Gaza to Israel. [3] The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was partially reopened by Israel at the beginning of February after nearly two years of closure. [3] Since then, Israel has temporarily closed the crossing on several occasions. [3] Shamia called on human rights organisations to exert pressure on Israel and force the authorities to allow Palestinians to freely exit and re-enter Gaza. [3] He added that the majority of patients could be treated locally if and when the territory’s healthcare infrastructure is rebuilt, which Israel has also been accused of hindering. [3] Israel has carried out near-daily attacks in Gaza, despite a so-called “ceasefire” taking effect in October, while human rights groups have accused the country of limiting the amount of aid entering the territory. [3]
Iran Strategy Echoes 1979 Hostage Crisis
The weekend exchange of strikes between Iran and Israel has put US President Donald Trump under even more domestic and international pressure to end the unpopular war he launched with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more than three months ago. [2] Tehran, meanwhile, has shown a steely resilience to ensure the war is settled in its favor as a formidable regional actor. [2] At this point in the war, what would constitute a “victory” for Trump? He wants an outcome that can vindicate his decision to start the war – a decision that has proved to be very costly, generating a worldwide energy crisis and a great deal of economic pain. [2] Relying on a mix of ideological devotion to Shia Islam, a strong sense of historical nationalism and an effective military capability, the regime has not only survived but made strategic gains. [2] It has destroyed or damaged many US bases in the Persian Gulf, hit Israel hard with missile and drone strikes and, above all, gained control of the Strait of Hormuz. [2] The conflict has also given renewed life to the Islamic government and its instruments of power. [2] Many citizens who were opposed to the regime have rallied around the flag in the face of the external threats and for the love of their country. [2] The current standoff with Iran is only 100 days old, and it appears the regime is now prepared to use a similar strategy to punish Trump and Netanyahu for attacking Iran. [2] Iran’s leaders are seemingly determined to turn the tables on their adversaries and humiliate them. [2]
Humanitarian and Political Fallout
The conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with about 34 million people — almost two out of every three Sudanese — needing assistance, according to the U.N. [1] The war could cause Trump political problems in the US midterm elections later this year. [2] He also wants an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program that he can claim is better than the 2015 deal Tehran struck with the Obama administration and its international partners, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. [2] Gaza is in the middle of a humanitarian crisis, which has been compounded by the lack of aid entering the territory. [3] Almost 90 percent of the population remains displaced, with most experiencing high levels of food insecurity. [3] On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to immediately reopen all crossings into Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to enter without restriction. [3] Reconstruction of Gaza In April, the UN and European Union warned that human development in Gaza had been set back by 77 years and that more than $71bn would be required for recovery and reconstruction. [3] Peace talks between the two sides have been stalled for months, and many key sticking points remain, including the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. [3]
What to watch next: Continued pressure on Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions to act on the RSF complaint, further restrictions or reopenings at Gaza crossings, and whether Iran maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz amid stalled US-Iran negotiations.
