Sudan and South Sudan: Root Causes of Crisis, Structural Failures

Map of Sudan and South Sudan with images from the civil war — An AI-generated illustration of a map of Sudan and South Sudan and some scenes from the civil war.

Sudan and South Sudan continue to face systemic instability rooted in corruption, conflict, and colonial legacies. Below is a detailed, source-backed breakdown of the ten key challenges you highlighted, along with top documentaries

🇸🇩 Sudan: Five Structural and Political Failures

Endemic Corruption
- Sudan ranks near the bottom of global corruption indices.
- Military and paramilitary elites control vast economic networks, diverting public funds Transparency International Knowledge Hub Transparency International Defence & Security.
Tribal and Ethnic Divisions
- Ethnic tensions, especially in Darfur and West Kordofan, are fueled by colonial-era boundaries and political manipulation UCL Pi Media historyrise.com.
Authoritarian Governance
- Sudan scored just 2/100 in Freedom House’s 2025 report. Military coups and repression have blocked democratic transition Freedom House FairPlanet.
Civil War and Armed Conflict
- Since April 2023, the SAF and RSF have fought a brutal war, displacing over 9 million people and killing tens of thousands Council on Foreign Relations مركز الجزيرة للدراسات.
Weak Rule of Law
- Sudan ranks 134/142 in the World Justice Project Index. Courts are politicized, and legal infrastructure is collapsing European Union Agency for Asylum World Justice Project.

🇸🇸 South Sudan: Five Deep-Rooted Challenges

Political Infighting
- President Salva Kiir and VP Riek Machar’s rivalry has led to multiple civil wars. In 2025, Machar was suspended and charged with treason sudanindependent.net Aljazeera.
Humanitarian Crisis
- 7.7 million people face acute food insecurity. Floods, conflict, and aid cuts have worsened conditions UN News UN World Food Programme (WFP).
Economic Dependence on Oil
- Oil accounts for 90% of government revenue. Pipeline disruptions and corruption have triggered economic collapse Pipeline Technology Journal DW.
Institutional Collapse
- UN reports cite systemic looting and political paralysis. Government institutions lack legitimacy and capacity UN News OHCHR.
Legacy of Colonial Exploitation
- British “divide and rule” policies entrenched ethnic divisions and underdevelopment in the South historyrise.com mexicohistorico.com.

🎬 Top Documentaries on Sudan and South Sudan

Title	Focus	Source
Inside Sudan’s Forgotten War (BBC Africa Eye)	RSF vs SAF conflict, war crimes	YouTube
Sudan: The Forgotten War (ARTE Reportage)	Humanitarian crisis and ethnic violence	ARTE
The Devil Came on Horseback	Darfur genocide and international inaction	500 Words Magazine
South Sudan Talks Documentaries	Civil war, peacebuilding, and survivor stories	South Sudan Talks
English Documentaries on the Sudans	Historical and political context	500 Words Magazine