More Than 1,200 Displaced From Sudan’s Blue Nile and North Darfur

More than 1,200 people have been displaced from villages in Sudan’s Blue Nile and North Darfur states amid ongoing insecurity, according to a UN agency. Displacement was reported from villages in Qaysan and Ambro as the security situation remains tense. The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have been at war since April 2023 following a split between the two groups that had previously jointly seized power in a 2021 coup.

Fresh Displacement in Blue Nile and North Darfur

More than 1,200 people have been displaced from villages in Sudan’s Blue Nile and North Darfur states amid ongoing insecurity, according to a UN agency [1]. Displacement was reported from villages in Qaysan and Ambro as the security situation remains tense [1]. The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have been at war since April 2023 following a split between the two groups that had previously jointly seized power in a 2021 coup [2]. The conflict has produced repeated waves of civilian movement as fighting continues in multiple regions.

Chemical Weapons Allegations Against Sudanese Army

Over the weekend, the New York Times and Washington Post both reported on a dossier of evidence that detailed the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese Armed Forces [2]. The dossier, shared by a Middle Eastern intelligence agency, included images, documents and intercepted messages between Sudanese military officers that described how the army developed and produced chemical weapons over six months in 2024 [2]. Multiple Sudanese and US sources have told Middle East Eye that the Middle Eastern intelligence agency is Israeli, and that the dossier it shared with the media was very similar to one Israel handed to the US government before it sanctioned Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the SAF, in January 2025 [2]. The dossier’s evidence seems to show that a secretive unit of the SAF produced chlorine bombs to use against its enemy [3]. According to the NYT, much of the dossier — nearly 150 documents, bomb blueprints, images, videos, and voice notes, as well as several thousand text messages — appears to come from the phones of senior Sudanese officers [3]. A former US official described the interception of vast numbers of messages as an advertisement for Pegasus, the spyware developed by Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group to infiltrate mobile phones [3].

Sudanese Rapid Support Forces fighters stand in a village in North Darfur. — Source: middleeasteye

Sudanese Government Response

Sudan’s army-backed government vehemently denies the chemical weapons allegations [3]. Sudan’s government clarified that Sudan was a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention and has remained committed to its provisions and procedures, including the non-production, non-stockpiling and non-use of chemical weapons [3]. It said that all chlorine stocks in the country are designated exclusively for water purification, civilian industrial uses and energy, and it stands ready to demonstrate this before any competent international body [3]. The Sudanese government said it had taken a number of measures in cooperation with the United States after the allegations originally emerged, and that the American side has not presented any evidence for these allegations [3].

Political Rejection of National Dialogue Proposal

A coalition of Sudanese political forces has rejected a proposed Sudanese-led national dialogue announced by Sudanese Armed Forces chief and head of the Sovereignty Council, Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, arguing that it would legitimise a reality created by war and entrench a de facto authority [5]. The Cairo Declaration forces made the statement after a meeting of their leaders in Cairo on Monday [5]. They said that, although El Burhan's recent rhetoric had shifted from "Glory to the rifle" to "Glory to dialogue", his proposal lacked the substance and purpose of genuine dialogue [5]. Sudan instead needs serious negotiations aimed first at ending the war, the coalition said [5]. A settlement should then pave the way for rebuilding the military on professional and national foundations, followed by a democratic civilian authority with popular legitimacy [5]. The coalition called for an inclusive, credible political process owned and led by Sudanese people, rather than a temporary settlement designed to consolidate existing power [5].

Sudanese Rapid Support Forces fighters patrol a street in Khartoum during the ongoing civil war. — Source: middleeasteye

Regional Allegations and Denials

On Tuesday in Geneva, Chad once again denied any involvement in the war in Sudan, while taking part in the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council [4]. N’Djamena has repeatedly been accused of serving as a logistical rear base for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces and has consistently rejected those allegations [4]. The Cairo Declaration forces held both sides in the war responsible for violations and crimes against civilians, as well as for the destruction of cities, villages, public facilities, and private property [5]. The coalition called on the Quintet mechanism and other international and regional actors to support, rather than direct, Sudanese political will [5].

Humanitarian and Economic Impact

The coalition said the war, which began on 15 April 2023, had inflicted one of the gravest humanitarian and social catastrophes in Sudan's modern history [5]. It said the conflict had intensified displacement and refugee movements, destroyed homes, infrastructure, and essential services, weakened the social fabric, deepened poverty, and contributed to crime and insecurity [5]. The coalition expressed concern about worsening civilian conditions and growing risks of hunger and famine, particularly in areas affected by fighting and displacement [5]. The coalition also warned of accelerating economic deterioration, citing the collapse in the value of the national currency, rising inflation and prices, falling purchasing power and production, growing poverty, disrupted markets, and deteriorating basic services [5]. It said the war was a central driver of the economic collapse, with public resources being directed towards sustaining the conflict rather than food, health, education, and other services [5].

What to watch next: The Cairo Declaration forces will continue working with other civilian groups to overcome divisions and build a unified civilian front, while urging the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Security Council to support investigations and prioritise civilian protection.