C4ADS Recognizes Two Years of Ongoing Armed Conflict in Sudan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE‌ — ‌On April 15, 2025, conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) enters its third year. Since violence first broke out on this day in 2023, each of these warring parties has faced respective accusations of indiscriminate violence, the siphoning of financial flows from citizens, and the weaponization of aid intended to help the people of Sudan. The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) officially determined earlier this year that the RSF is committing genocide; protracted armed conflict has led to Sudan becoming the largest displacement crisis in the world and has driven widespread famine in the country.

C4ADS has worked to support peaceful, civilian-led democratic transition in Sudan for the better part of the last decade. Our 2022 Breaking the Bank investigation highlighted how military control of the Sudanese economy has obstructed this movement towards democracy, and we continue to examine how state-owned institutions fuel military efforts today — providing analytical support for a Sudanese Woman Rights Action report on the obstruction of aid in Sudan, launching the Sudan Shahid platform in collaboration with the Centre for Information Resilience and the Sudan Human Rights Hub to document civilian harm, and partnering with the Ayin Network and Darfur24 for a study of the role of gold in enabling continued conflict. Most recently, we published the results of our Unearthed investigation into the ways the Wagner Group established early mining operations in Sudan to build its foothold in northern Africa and finance operations.

“As the Sudanese conflict enters its third year, C4ADS is working tirelessly to put pressure on the illicit networks and conflict enablers that are responsible for the world’s largest humanitarian crisis,” said Analyst Christopher Kiyaseh. “Through our data-driven analysis and cutting edge technologies, C4ADS can continue to disrupt illicit actors and pave the way for justice, accountability, and democracy efforts in Sudan.”

The RSF and the SAF alike rely on their deep influence over key domestic companies and resources — as well as foreign support — to procure weapons and finance their military campaigns. As this war rages on, C4ADS will continue our mission to disrupt these illicit networks, and support the efforts of our allies and partners working towards a peaceful transition to democratic, civilian-led governance.

For additional information about our work supporting democracy in Sudan, please visit the relevant initiative page on our website or reach out to us directly at [email protected]. For any related media inquiries, please email [email protected].