Analysis: Sudan’s online propaganda battlefield

In the Sudan conflict, the propaganda battle between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on mainstream and social media makes it hard to distinguish real, false, and manipulated information. Furthermore, the lack of field press coverage allows fake and misleading news to spread more easily, a new paper by Selma El Obeid entitled Sudan wartime online propaganda published today by the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI) confirms.

Although the SAF and RSF work hard to shape the war narrative by building large supporter networks and using various methods such as disinformation and censorship, it is clear they no longer fully control the flow of information.

Social media analysis shows that Sudanese politicians, military figures, influencers, and followers weave a tangled web of exchanges filled with rivalries, lies, and propaganda.

A paper by Selma El Obeid entitled Sudan wartime online propaganda published today by the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI), explores the online propaganda battlefield in Sudan, where disinformation wars are equally intense. It analyses SAF and RSF propaganda, their main actors, tools, methods, rhetoric, and political and humanitarian impacts. Among various media outlets, Facebook and X are the most popular platforms for Sudanese users, with two main types of content creators emerging: live streamers and YouTubers. Key players in these propaganda battles include supporters of the SAF and of the RSF, and, to a lesser extent, anti-war groups linked to the former civilian coalition, the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC).

These supporter groups range from genuine supporters to those motivated by profit or hidden agendas. Propaganda campaigns have deeply influenced society and the political landscape, weakening Sudan’s national unity, hindering peace efforts, and prolonging the war.