North Darfur

History

North Darfur shares much of the history of Darfur. It was the center of the Sultanate of Darfur and contained both its capital al-Fashir and its biggest trading city Kobbei.

Former lieutenant general, Armed Forces Chief of Staff, and defense minister Ibrahim Suleiman Hassan served as governor of North Darfur from 2001 to 2003, until being dismissed by al-Bashir.

North Darfur has been a major flashpoint during the ongoing civil war. Reports indicate that tens of thousands of people were killed in the El Fasher massacre in late October 2025, perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after they captured Al-Fashir, the last Sudanese Armed Forces stronghold in Darfur.

Geography

North Darfur occupies more than half of the territory of the Darfur region, and includes part of the Marrah Mountains (Jebel Marra). The northern part is entirely desert. To the south there is slightly more rainfall with the eastern side being plains with low sandy hills, while the volcanic Marrah Mountains occupy most of the western side of the south. In the southern portion the most important crops are millet, maize and peanuts.

North Darfur is bounded on the northwest by Libya, on the north by Northern State, on the east by Northern State and North Kurdufan, on the southeast by South Kurdufan, on the south by South Darfur, and on the west by West Darfur and the Republic of Chad. Most of North Darfur's population follow Sunni Islam.

Governors

References

1. (12 August 2024). "North Darfur governor accuses RSF of killing 28 civilians in El Fasher attack".
2. "Archived copy".
3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab".
4. In Arabic كتم
5. [http://www.maplandia.com/sudan/darfur/ailliet/ "Ailliet, Sudan"] Maplandia.com
6. In Arabic كبكابية
7. link. (7 September 2013 Sudanese Government site, in Arabic, accessed 9 September 2010)
8. In Arabic مليط
9. [http://www.maplandia.com/sudan/darfur/tawilah/ "Tawilah, Sudan"] Maplandia.com
10. (15 November 2024). "Report on Airstrike by Sudanese Armed Forces in Saraf Omra, North Darfur State – El Fasher".
11. In Arabic أم كدادة،
12. Nashed, Mat. "Darfur on edge as violence spreads amid Sudan power struggle".
13. Townsend, Mark. (5 December 2025). "RSF massacres left Sudanese city 'a slaughterhouse', satellite images show". [[The Guardian]].
14. "Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan".
15. (15 June 2015). "Demands for more protection to North Darfur’s new governor". Dabanga Sudan.
16. (7 May 2019). "Sudan: Governor of North Darfur Emphasizes Stability of Security Situations". AllAfrica.
17. (27 July 2020). "Banditry across Darfur leaves seven dead, three women raped". Dabanga Sudan.
18. (7 September 2020). "Sudan: Arabi Briefs Cabinet On Working Plan for Next Stage in North Darfur". AllAfrica.
19. (13 June 2021). "Sudan’s prime minister appoints 3 state governors in Darfur, Blue Nile". Sudan Tribune.
20. SudanTribune. (2024-01-11). "Dismissed North Darfur Governor unveils reasons for his ouster".