October was the deadliest month for civilians in Sudan since the start of the fratricidal war between the military and paramilitaries in April 2023, according to an AFP analysis of data from the NGO Acled, which tracks victims of conflicts around the world.

In one month, it recorded 1,545 civilian deaths. Including all victims, the NGO counted more than 3,000 deaths last month, almost as many as in October 2024 (3,240 including 966 civilian deaths) when paramilitaries had multiplied violent actions in Al-Jazira State (central).

Acled counts the victims by compiling data from various selected sources that it considers reliable (media, institutions, local partners).

In total, since mid-April 2023, the NGO has recorded nearly 49,800 deaths in Sudan, including almost 15,300 civilians. Half of the deaths were recorded in the North Darfur and Khartoum regions (approximately 14,000 and 11,200 respectively). A few hundred were recorded in the disputed Abyei region, which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.

This tally is not exhaustive, as many victims have not been recorded. The war has also displaced millions and triggered the worst current humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.

Sudan has been torn apart since April 15, 2023 by a war between the army, which controls the east and north of the country, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF, paramilitaries), now in control of the whole of Darfur.

After an 18-month siege, the Rwandan Security Forces (RSF) captured El-Fasher on May 26, the last major city in Darfur (western Sudan) still outside their control. In El-Fasher and the surrounding areas alone, ACLED recorded 2,176 deaths in October, including 1,385 civilians. The NGO warns that this toll could rise in the coming weeks due to communication difficulties related to the situation. According to other sources linked to the pro-military government, more than 2,000 civilians were killed in the city at the end of October.

Furthermore, the use of drones is increasing in Sudan.

In the first ten months of 2025, the NGO recorded more than 700 violent events where the use of drones was mentioned, three times more than in 2023. Among these attacks, 341 were purely aerial, without ground combat, and alone caused nearly 1,900 deaths, including more than 1,400 in 2025.