KHARTOUM – Sudan has recorded one of the sharpest declines in governance performance in Africa over the past decade, ranking third among the continent’s most deteriorated countries, according to the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG).
The index, released by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation on October 31, assesses governance performance across Africa between 2016 and 2025. It placed Sudan 52nd out of 54 countries, with an overall score of 27.4 out of 100. The report also found that Sudan’s overall governance score has declined by 5.1 points since 2021.
The country’s Security and Safety recorded the sharpest decline among the assessed categories, falling by 17.5 points, making it the lowest-scoring category in Africa.
Sudan’s Public Administration score also dropped by 21.4 points, the largest deterioration recorded by any African country in that category.
The index also showed a 13.6-point decline in Social Protection and Welfare, reflecting setbacks in the country’s ability to provide social services and support vulnerable populations.
The deterioration comes amid devastating war that erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo also known as Hemedti.
The conflict followed months of tensions between the two military leaders over the country’s political future, particularly disagreements over integrating the RSF into the national army, the military command structure and the transition to civilian rule.
The two generals had shared power following the removal of longtime President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Burhan and Hemeti later joined forces in an October 2021 coup that overthrew the civilian-led transitional government.
Relations between the two forces subsequently deteriorated in 2023 leading to fighting that spread from Khartoum to other parts of the country, including Darfur and Kordofan. The conflict has caused widespread destruction, mass displacement and disruption of essential public services.
Although the ongoing war is not the sole contributing factor to the governance deterioration, it has heightened political and institutional weaknesses stemming from decades of military rule, regional inequalities and competition for political and economic power.
The United Nations has warned that the conflict has triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with millions of people displaced and essential infrastructure destroyed. Access to healthcare, education, water and other basic services has also been severely disrupted, while hunger and disease outbreaks have spread, the UN said.
The World Health Organization reported in February 2026 that 33.7 million people in Sudan needed humanitarian assistance, including 21 million requiring health assistance. It also estimated that 11.5 million people had been forcibly displaced by the conflict.
The country, which has now fragmented state authorities, has further deteriorated governance, with rival administrations operating in different parts of the country which has undermined efforts to maintain unified public administration and service delivery.
Despite the overall decline, the index identified improvements in some areas. Sudan’s Inclusion and Equality score increased by 8.8 points, making it the second most improved country in Africa in that category.
The country also recorded a 9.7-point improvement in Rural Economy, although these gains have not offset the broader deterioration in governance performance.
The Ibrahim Index of African Governance assesses how governments deliver political, social, economic and environmental goods and services to their citizens across 54 African countries.
