Keeping the Oil Flowing: Sudan’s Oil Sector During the 2023–24 War

Since the outbreak of civil war in Sudan in April 2023, there have been rising concerns about the physical
security of oil infrastructure and the sector’s overall operational capacity. Control of the country’s oil infrastructure has been split among different armed groups. The national military, Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), has retained control of the export terminal in the Red Sea port of Port Sudan. At the same time, a rival armed group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), seized—and now maintain—command of Sudan’s primary refinery in Khartoum and at least one pumping station.
 
Keeping the Oil Flowing: Sudan’s Oil Sector During the 2023 War—a new Situation Update from the Small Arms Survey’s Human Security Baseline Assessment for Sudan and South Sudan (HSBA) project—examines the impact of Sudan’s civil war since April 2023 on the country’s oil industry, and discusses why a protracted oil shutdown would be catastrophic for both Sudan and South Sudan.