By the Numbers: Sudan War Toll in 2024
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The number of armed clashes in Sudan during this year reached 4,811 incidents, resulting in the deaths of at least 13,021 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), which monitors global armed conflicts.
The organization stated, "Although the battles primarily took place between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), over 120 different armed groups participated in the fighting in 2024. Among these were joint forces from armed movements involved in 273 battles, Arab militias in Darfur with 232 battles, and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, which engaged in 22 battles, along with other groups."
In its report on December 14, titled "A Map of Key Conflict Trends in Sudan in 2024," covering the period from January 1 to November 29, ACLED noted that 2,029 clashes occurred in just three states:
Khartoum accounted for 42%,
Al-Jazira State followed with 18%,
North Darfur recorded 16%.
The report also highlighted 1,792 attacks targeting civilians, which caused the deaths of 4,204 citizens, stating that the Rapid Support Forces were responsible for 77% of these attacks. ACLED further noted:
35% of these attacks took place in Al-Jazira State,
19% in Khartoum State,
17% in North Darfur State.
Additionally, 1,001 aerial and drone attacks were recorded:
488 in Khartoum State,
164 in Al-Jazira State,
151 in North Darfur State.
The report emphasized the Sudanese Armed Forces dominance in air power, conducting:
703 aerial strikes, representing 100% of all air strikes in the country,
226 drone attacks, constituting 92% of all drone operations in Sudan in 2024.
On the other hand, the Rapid Support Forces carried out 12 successful drone strikes and intercepted 44 drone raids.
ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project) is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. It specializes in gathering data on violent conflicts and protests worldwide.
In the absence of official local records of war casualties in Sudan, ACLED has become the primary source for documenting military attacks and victims of the Sudanese conflict. However, the recorded figures remain below the actual numbers.
In its latest report last month, ACLED stated that the total number of casualties in Sudans war had reached 23,015 since the conflict began in April of last year. The organization consistently notes that these figures are "conservative due to methodological limitations in real-time reporting during a conflict of this nature."
An earlier report, prepared by independent UN monitors and presented to the UN Security Council in January of this year, estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in El Geneina, West Darfur, in 2023. Some estimates suggest the death toll may have reached 150,000, according to the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, in May.
