The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. The force strength has been estimated at personnel in 2011 (by IISS), 200,000 personnel before the current war in Sudan broke out in 2023 (by the CIA), and 300,000 personnel in 2024 (by Al Jazeera).
As of 2026, the SAF and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) remain in armed conflict against one another in the ongoing civil war in Sudan. In 2016–2017, the RSF had members participating in the Yemeni Civil War (of which returned to Sudan by October 2019).
History
The origins of the Sudanese army are traced to southern Sudanese battalions recruited by the British during the reconquest of Sudan in 1898, and later to Sudanese auxiliary units in the Egyptian Army known as al-Awtirah. After the assassination of Sir Lee Stack in Cairo in 1924, Britain removed Egyptian forces from Sudan and created the Sudan Defence Force in January 1925 under Lewa Huddleston Pasha, with about 140 British officers transferred from the Egyptian Army.
The British Army organized the SDF into local auxiliary regiments, including northern units recruited from local Arab, Beja, and Nubian soldiers, while the southern Equatoria Corps drew from local Nilotic peoples. During the Second World War, the SDF served with Allied forces in Ethiopia and the Western Desert Campaign, including operations around Kufra and Jalo in the Libyan Desert. In 1947, Sudanese military schools were closed and troop numbers were reduced to 7,570.
In the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Colonel Hamid Saleh al-Malik selected 250 Sudanese soldiers, many of whom had combat experience from World War II, to serve with the Egyptian Army. After arriving in Cairo for a parade, the Sudanese troops were distributed among different Egyptian units, a decision later criticized for weakening the cohesion of soldiers who had previously fought together. Forty-three Sudanese soldiers were killed in action during the war.
In 1953, the British and Egyptian authorities agreed to place Sudan on the path toward independence. General Ahmed Mohammed became Sudan's first army chief in August 1954, marking the first time the Sudanese army had an independent command not governed by either Britain or Egypt.
In July 1951, Maj Gen Lashmer Whistler, then Commandant of the Sudan Defence Force, wrote in the British Army Review that the SDF comprised four infantry/camel units, a signals regiment, an anti-aircraft artillery regiment and other units. By March 1954, British forces in Sudan had been reduced to one battalion in Khartoum, under the Governor-General's military commander, who also served as Commandant of the SDF.British Parliament House of Lords Debate, 10 March 1954 From 1950, this post was held by Major General Reginald "Cully" Scoons. The last British unit, the 1st Battalion Royal Leicestershire Regiment, left Sudan on 16 August 1955, and all British troops had departed by the end of that month.
On 18 August 1955, shortly before Sudanese independence, No. 2 Company of the Equatoria Corps mutinied at Torit after being ordered to transfer north for the ceremonies of the departure of British troops. The mutiny spread among other southern soldiers in Juba, Yei, Yombo, and Maridi. Northern troops were airlifted to suppress the revolt, and by the end of the month the Equatoria Corps had been dismantled as an effective formation. The Torit mutiny marked the start of South Sudanese wars of independence, the emergence of the Anyanya movement and the beginning of the First Sudanese Civil War.
Independence Following the 1954 Torit mutiny, the Northern forces increased their numbers by recalling World War II veterans and launching new recruitment drives.
Although regarded as competent at 1956 independence, the army's character changed as officers had already begun considering political involvement. Numbers began expanding before independence, reaching 12,000 personnel by 1959, and leveled off at nearly 50,000 in 1972. After independence, the military -particularly the educated officer corps- became more and more politically involved; soldiers associated themselves with parties and movements across the political spectrum." On November 17, 1958, the army's two senior generals, Major General Ibrahim Abboud, the armed forces commander, and Ahmad Abd al Wahab, seized power in a military coup. "The coup in the Sudan, far from being a take-over.. by the army, was a hand-over to the army. It was a coup by courtesy.. in response to the demand for emergency measures.." by the head of the government, Abdallah Khalil.
The First Sudanese Civil War broke out in a series of actions in the south in late 1963 and early 1964. Attacks on police posts and convoys began in September 1963, and the higher-profile early attack on the Armed Forces came in January 1964, when rebels attacked the barracks at Wau, Sudan. President Abboud was forced to step down following demonstrations which began in mid-1964.
In 1969, the 26,500-strong Sudanese Army comprised four infantry brigades, three independent battalions, two armoured regiments, one parachute regiment, and three artillery regiments. After independence, British advisers helped train the Army and Air Force, and British equipment predominated in the ground forces. There were 50 Alvis Saladins, 60 Ferret armoured cars, and 45 Commando armoured cars, about 50 25-pounders, 40 105-mm howitzers, 20 120-mm mortars, and 80 Bofors 40-mm guns.
On 25 May 1969, Colonel Jaafar Nimeiry led a military coup. A factional military government, the National Revolutionary Command Council, ruled until 1971 when Nimeiri transitioned to a civilian-based government. The first civil war ended via a negotiated settlement in 1973 by General Ismail. Sudan sent a reinforcement brigade to Egypt for the 1973 Yom Kippur War, but it arrived too late on 28 October and saw no action.
Following the June 1967 Arab–Israeli War, Sudan severed Western relations and established close military cooperation with the Soviet Union. This Soviet assistance coincided with the Sudan Armed Forces expanding from 18,000 personnel in 1966 to nearly 50,000 by 1972. Consequently, Soviet-manufactured tanks, artillery, and MiG combat aircraft formed the bulk of Sudan's ground and air equipment from the 1970s until the early 1980s.
The Second Sudanese Civil War broke out again in 1983 and continued until 2005. The Armed Forces operated under the authority of the People's Armed Forces Act 1986.UNMIS, Joint Integrated Units Act
Al-Bashir era By the time of the 1989 Sudanese coup d'état, reports claimed that soldiers and non-commissioned officers from southern Sudan made up more than half of many army units. It characterized many of these troops as motivated largely by pay and rations rather than loyalty to the government, while noting that they could fight effectively but were often reluctant to undertake offensive operations. The new government established the Popular Defence Forces under the Popular Defence Act of October 1989 as a paramilitary body aligned with the political objectives of the government and the National Islamic Front. The majority of these forces were recruited from the northern regions of the country.
The Land Forces were "basically a light infantry force in 1991, supported by specialized elements.... [C]ontrol extended from the headquarters of the general staff in Khartoum to the six regional commands (central, eastern, western, northern, southern, and Khartoum). Each regional command was organized along divisional lines. Thus, the Fifth Division was at al-Ubayyid in Kurdufan (Central Command), the Second Division was at Khashm El Girba (Eastern Command), the Sixth Division was assigned to al-Fashir in Darfur (Western Command), the First Division was at Juba (Southern Command), and the Seventh Armoured Division was at As Shajarah just south of Khartoum (Khartoum Command). The Airborne Division was based at Khartoum International Airport. The Third Division was located in the north, although no major troop units were assigned to it. Each division had a liaison officer attached to general headquarters in Khartoum to facilitate the division's communication with various command elements. This organisational structure did not provide an accurate picture of actual troop deployments. All of the divisions were understrength. The Sixth Division in Darfur was a reorganised brigade with only 2,500 personnel. Unit strengths varied widely. Most brigades were composed of 1,000 to 1,500 troops." Keegan, writing in 1983, indicated that the northern command was located at Shendi.
To reduce the pressure on the regular armed forces, the Sudanese government made extensive use of militias, such as the South Sudan Defence Forces. This largely symbolic coalition of seven groups was formed with the signing of the Khartoum Peace Agreement with the NIF in 1997. The SSDF was led by former Garang lieutenant Riek Machar.
In 2004, the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress estimated that the Popular Defence Forces, the military wing of the National Islamic Front, consisted of 10,000 active members, with 85,000 reserves. The Popular Defence Forces were deployed alongside regular army units against various rebel groups. In 2005, in accordance with the provisions of the Naivasha Comprehensive Peace Accord, Joint Integrated Units were formed together with the rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army. In this regard, Afdevinfo did report that the 1st Division at Juba had been disbanded.
In 2007 the IISS estimated that the SAF had 104,800 personnel supported by 17,500 paramilitary personnel. Jane's Information Group said in May 2009 that 'There are a number of infantry divisions, divided among [the six] regional commands. The commander of each military region traditionally commanded the divisional and brigade commanders within his territory. It is understood that there are six infantry divisions and seven independent infantry brigades; a mechanised division and an independent mechanised infantry brigade; and an armoured division. Other elements are understood to include a Special Forces battalion with five companies; an airborne division and a border guard brigade. Support elements include an engineer division.' Jane's reported the army's strength as 100,000 plus militias.Jane's World Armies, Jane's Information Group, May 2009.
Jane's Sentinel reports that there are two engineer brigades supporting the 9th Airborne Division. Jane's Amphibious and Special Forces, 2010, listed the 9th Airborne Division headquartered in Khartoum which includes two airborne brigades and the 144th Special Forces Battalion, an anti-terrorist unit. It also mentioned the two engineer brigades for special forces support. The 9th Airborne Division carried out projects north of the capital in 2022; in January 2022 it confronted demonstrators in Omdurman. In 2010 it was reported that a Republican Guard existed as a presidential security unit, led by Major General Khalid Hamad. Sudanese Online.
The SAF and government-aligned militias have fought in the Sudanese Civil War, the Darfur Conflict, the Sudan–SPLM-N conflict and the 2012 South Sudan-Sudan border conflict. As part of the Yemeni Civil War, dozens of Sudanese soldiers were reported killed in an ambush by Houthis in Hajjah Governorate in April 2018.
Joint Integrated Units (2005–2011) The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement which ended the second civil war, stated that "...there shall be formed Joint/Integrated Units during the Pre-Interim and Interim Period from the SAF and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).... These shall form the nucleus of the future Sudanese National Armed Forces, should the result of the referendum... confirm unity of the country, [otherwise] the JIUs shall dissolve with each component reverting to its mother Armed Forces."