The Fragmented State – Sudan Enters 2026 Between Famine and Fallen Cities
Port Sudan, Sudan – January 2, 2026
As the calendar turns to 2026, the Republic of Sudan stands at a terrifying crossroads, increasingly resembling a collection of rival fiefdoms rather than a sovereign nation.
Reports reaching the CJ Global news desk on this second day of January confirm that the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, has entered a new and more destructive phase.
While the world celebrated the New Year, the citizens of Sudan faced a reality of “house-to-house terror” and a humanitarian collapse that has now been officially labeled the largest displacement crisis in recorded history.
The tactical map of Sudan has shifted drastically in the final weeks of 2025. Following the fall of Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, to the RSF in late October, the paramilitary group has entrenched its control over a region roughly the size of France.
Our CJ Exclusive sources in the region report that the RSF has established a rival “government” based in the city of Nyala, while the SAF-backed Transitional Sovereignty Council remains headquartered in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.
This geographical divorce effectively splits the country into a western RSF-held territory and an eastern SAF-held coastline, raising the immediate prospect of a permanent national fragmentation similar to the 2011 secession of South Sudan.
The Secret Toll: Famine as a Weapon of War
Beyond the shifting front lines, a much darker “secret” is emerging from the besieged districts of Darfur and Kordofan.
According to data analyzed by the CJ Global investigative team, famine conditions have now been confirmed in at least 20 additional districts as of January 2026.
This is not merely a consequence of war, but increasingly a deliberate strategy. The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued an urgent warning today that its pipeline for lifesaving aid is set to break within weeks due to a total lack of international funding and the systematic blocking of aid corridors by both warring parties.
The humanitarian statistics are staggering:
Displacement:
Over 13 million people have been forcibly displaced, with 3 million fleeing to neighboring countries like Chad and Egypt.
Hunger:
25 million people—more than half the population—are experiencing acute food insecurity.
Health:
The healthcare system has effectively collapsed, with 70% of facilities in conflict zones non-functional and a cholera outbreak spreading across all 18 states.
In a rare attempt to project a sense of normalcy, a “Youth Sports Festival” was launched in Khartoum yesterday to mark Sudan’s 70th independence anniversary.
However, our correspondents on the ground describe this as a hollow gesture of propaganda.
While a few races were held in SAF-controlled pockets of the capital, the majority of the “Triple Capital” (Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman) remains a landscape of ruins where summary executions and ethnic killings are reported daily.
Leadership Governance:
The Failure of the Social Contract
The Sudan crisis is the ultimate indictment of the “ego-driven” leadership model. Both Burhan and Hemedti have prioritized their personal survival and control over the “non-self” collective good of the Sudanese people.
The “Global Bridge” between our London and Tokyo offices indicates that regional powers, including the UAE and Egypt, are increasingly being pulled into a proxy war that threatens to destabilize the entire Horn of Africa.
Headline Points of the Sudan Crisis:
National Fragmentation:
Sudan effectively splits into two administrations, with the RSF in Nyala and SAF in Port Sudan.
Famine Confirmed:
Over 20 districts in Darfur and Kordofan slide into confirmed IPC Phase 5 famine thresholds.
Displacement Record:
Sudan officially becomes the world’s largest displacement and protection emergency.
Regional Proxy War:
Tensions rise between Egypt and Ethiopia as the conflict nears strategic border zones.
Health Collapse:
A nationwide cholera epidemic claims 3,000 lives as 70% of hospitals remain out of service.
