2.16.1. Actors involved and territorial control

During the reference period, territorial control maps depicted Gedaref state as continuously under SAF control.1217 A map provided by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies showed Gedaref state under the SAF’s complete control as of the beginning of July 2026, along with the presence of allied armed groups such as the Sudan Shield Forces (SSF), the Sudanese Popular Resistance/Mustanfareen, and the Darfur Joint Forces.1218 The SSF reportedly operated in the Al-Butana plains bordering Al Jazirah state.1219 Furthermore, several tribal militias mostly allied with the SAF, reportedly operated in Red Sea, Gedaref, and Kassala states.1220

  • 1217

    Sudans Post, Territorial control map – Sudan Conflict (as of May 10, 2026) [Map], 10 May 2026, url; Sudans Post, Territorial control in Sudan – October 2025 [Map 2], 12 October 2025, url; Soliman, A. and Baldo, S., Gold and the war in Sudan [Map], Chatham House, updated 24 March 2026, url

  • 1218

    Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Mapping the Armed Actors in the Sudan Conflict [Map], 7 July 2026, url

  • 1219

    Sudan Tribune, Drone strike kills one at Sudan Shield camp in Al-Jazirah, 7 January 2026, url

  • 1220

    Abdelrahman, E. E. and STPT, Regional and international dimensions of conflicts in eastern Sudan, 11 August 2025, url, pp. 23-24