Sudan
Sudan is involved in armed conflicts against several armed groups, and joined the Saudi-led coalition against the Houtis in Yemen in 2015.1 Armed conflicts within the country have resulted in increasing levels of violence and insecurity. The widespread availability of arms and ammunition in Sudan, due to high levels of diversion in the region, also continues to contribute to arms and ammunition flows.2 The disputed region of Abyei at the border with South Sudan is another source of conflict contributing to arms and ammunition flows across the border.3
The Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RESCA); the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC); the Multinational Small Arms and Ammunition Group (MSAG); the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA); the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR); and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) are working on the ground to support ammunition management efforts in the country. Efforts have included carrying out activities related to weapons and ammunition management, providing national and regional training for Sudanese police and military forces, undertaking studies to develop an understanding of current dynamics and challenges related to weapons and ammunition, disposing of explosive ordnance, and offering expertise in demilitarisation.4
1 “Sudan," Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts Project (RULAC), Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, updated May 15, 2023, https://www.rulac.org/browse/countries/sudan.
2 Small Arms Survey, The Militarization of Sudan: A Preliminary Review of Arms Flows and Holdings (Geneva: Small Arms Survey, 2007), https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/sites/default/files/resources/HSBA-IB-06-militarization.pdf.
3 Emilie Broek, Katongo Seyuba and Kheira Tarif, “Abyei Offers Lessons for the Region on Climate-Related Security Risks,” Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, September 23, 2021, https://www.sipri.org/commentary/blog/2021/abyei-offers-lessons-region-climate-related-security-risks.
4 “Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP),” GICHD, 2023, https://a-map.gichd.org.
Launch the country dashboard
Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, eight accidental explosions have been reported in Sudan.
Table 1. Accidental explosions in Sudan (1979–2021)
| Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
2019 | El Fateh, Omdurman | State (military) | 8 | 0 |
2017 | El Obeid | State (police) | 2 | 13 |
2017 | Nyala | Non-state (actor) | 12 | 18 |
2015 | El Damazin | State (military) | N/A | N/A |
2015 | El Malha | State (police) | 0 | 0 |
2014 | El Geili | State (military) | N/A | N/A |
2007 | Khartoum | State (military) | 0 | 7 |
1998 | Khartoum | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.
Cases of diversion
Numerous cases of diversion have been reported since 2005 in Sudan.
Table 2. Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition and explosives since 2005 in Sudan
| Year | Location | Description |
2016 | Darfur | An unidentified armed group seized a machine gun, four rifles and rounds of ammunition from a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping patrol. |
2015 | Darfur | The attackers seized two Land Cruisers mounted with Dushka machine guns, as well as all the weapons and ammunition. |
2014 | Sindy, North Darfur | Following an attack on a patrol, 37 assault rifles, 4 machine guns and more than 3,500 cartridges of ammunition were stolen. |
2008 | Al Fasher | One AK-type assault rifle and an unspecified vehicle were seized. |
2006 | Abdel Shakur, North Darfur | Following an attack on a convoy, 1 self-loading pistol, 38 assault rifles, 9 machine guns, anti-tank weapons and more than 6,000 ammunition cartridges of ammunition were stolen. |
2005 | East Darfur | Following an attack on a patrol, 1 assault rifle and more than 500 cartridges of ammunition were stolen. |
Source: “African Union-UN Peacekeepers Ambushed in Darfur; One Injured, Weapons Stolen | UN News,” UN News, January 7, 2016, https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/01/519532-african-union-un-peacekeepers-ambushed-darfur-one-injured-weapons-stolen; Kireinek, “Arms, Ammo Stolen in Attack on West Darfur Police Station,” Radio Dabanga, March 5, 2015, https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/arms-ammo-stolen-in-attack-on-west-darfur-police-station; Eric G. Berman and Michaela Racovita, Under Attack and Above Scrutiny? Arms and Ammunition Diversion from Peacekeepers in Sudan and South Sudan, 2002–14 (Geneva: Small Arms Survey, 2015), https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/194315/HSBA-WP37-Peacekeeper-Diversions.pdf.
Disposal
To decrease the above-mentioned risks of accidental explosions and diversion, Sudan has disposed of its ammunition since 2015.
Table 3. Number of pieces of ammunition disposed of in Sudan (2015–21)
| Year | Pieces of ammunition |
| 2015 | N/A |
| 2016 | 908.5 |
| 2017 | 908.5 |
| 2018 | 21,710.75 |
| 2019 | 21,710.75 |
| 2020 | 21,710.75 |
| 2021 | 21,710.75 |
Sources: “More Weapons and Ammunition Destroyed in Abyei - Sudan,” UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, June 14, 2017, https://unisfa.unmissions.org/more-weapons-and-ammunition-destroyed-abyei-0; "Abyei Programme,” UNMAS, accessed May 25, 2022, https://www.unmas.org/en/programmes/abyei; “UNISFA Conducts First Weapons and Ammunition Destruction Activity,” UNMAS, November 11, 2015, https://www.unmas.org/en/unisfa-conducts-first-weapons-and-ammunition-destruction-activity.
Needs
No needs have been reported for Sudan.
Source: Sudan, National Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) (New York: Permanent Mission of Sudan to the UN, 2018), https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/reports/SDN-English-865-SUBMITTED.pdf.
