How Europe’s migration policy and arms empowered Sudan’s warlords

Al JazeeraCenterEN 6 min read 100% complete by Zeenat AdamNovember 30, 2025 at 02:36 PM

AI Summary

long article 6 min

A news article published in November 2025 reports that European Union migration policies and weak arms export oversight inadvertently empowered Sudanese warlords, contributing to the country's instability and the outbreak of war in April 2023. Between 2014 and 2018, the EU channeled over 200 million euros into Sudan through initiatives like the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, ostensibly to strengthen migration control and border security. However, this funding, combined with a lack of oversight on arms flows, indirectly reinforced actors, like the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are now accused of perpetrating war crimes. The EU's strategy of externalizing migration control in Sudan had unintended consequences, exacerbating the conflict between the SAF and RSF, displacing millions, and splitting the country into contested zones.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Darfur ×250% European Union ×360% Rapid Support Forces ×270% Omar al-Bashir ×280% Sudan ×690%

Keywords

sudan 100% migration policy 90% european union 80% arms flows 70% migration control 70% paramilitaries 70% rapid support forces 60% conflict 60% war crimes 50% fragile state 40%