- More than half (51%) of Sudanese say they felt unsafe while walking in their neighbourhood at least once during the previous year, and 37% say they feared crime in their home. o The share of citizens who felt unsafe while walking in their neighbourhood “several times,” “many times,” or “always” rose by 12 percentage points between 2021 and 2022, from 28% to 40%. o The poorest citizens are nearly three times as likely to feel unsafe, and twice as likely to fear crime, as their well-off counterparts.
- Among citizens who asked for help from the police during the previous year, two thirds (67%) say it was difficult to get the assistance they needed, and almost half (46%) say they had to pay a bribe. o Among those who encountered the police in other situations, such as at checkpoints, during identity checks or traffic stops, or during an investigation, 36% say they had to pay a bribe to avoid problems.
- About one-third (34%) of Sudanese say that “most” or “all” police are corrupt.
- Four in 10 citizens (41%) say they trust the police “somewhat” or “a lot.” ▪ Many citizens say the police “often” or “always” use excessive force when managing protests (53%) and dealing with suspected criminals (44%). o About one-third (32%) say they routinely stop drivers without good reason, and 25% say they “often” or “always” engage in criminal activities.
- Overall, only 27% say the police “often” or “always” operate in a professional manner and respect all citizens’ rights.
- Sudanese overwhelmingly (89%) say the government is doing a poor job of reducing crime.
Over the past two years, Sudan has experienced a protracted crisis marked by full-scale war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than 150,000 Sudanese have been killed and 15 million displaced, including about 3 million who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries (International Committee of the Red Cross, 2025; International Organization for Migration, 2025; Freedom House, 2025).
Before this conflict, the Sudan Police Force (SPF) was the primary law enforcement agency responsible for maintaining law and order, fighting crime, and protecting civilians and property, according to the National Police Forces Act of 2008 (Republic of Sudan, 2008). To professionalise this body, the government of Sudan tried to undertake reforms. The 2005 Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement included a provision for police reforms that emphasised power sharing and coordination between the national police and other law enforcement agencies, improved capacity building and training of police officers, and diversity and inclusion during conscription (Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, 2019; African Union, 2005). However, not all these reforms were fully implemented because of the fragile political environment and the tensions between North Sudan and South Sudan.
Following the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, the government embarked on another round of reforms. In an effort to promote individual freedoms and gender equality, it repealed the Public Order Law, which had empowered religious police to enforce strict moral codes (BBC News, 2019; Amnesty International, 2019). The 2020 Juba Peace Agreement also paved the way for the establishment of the Sudan Joint Police Technical Committee, which would oversee the formalisation of integration and training of rebel groups (Government of Sudan, 2020; International IDEA, 2020).
While the Sudan government had maintained a functioning police force in the pre-conflict period, lack of accountability by the police, arbitrary arrests and detentions, use of force against protesters, corruption, and political interference in security operations tainted its image (U.S. Department of State, 2023). The influence of the RSF, a paramilitary force formerly operated by the government, cannot be gainsaid: The militia has committed widespread atrocities and severely undermined the authority of the police in regions it controls. This crisis has destroyed police infrastructure and left the force fragmented, with divided allegiances and reduced capacity to carry out its mandate (Nyala, 2023).
This dispatch reports on a special module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 survey (2021/2023) to explore Africans’ experiences and assessments of police professionalism.
In Sudan, a growing number of citizens report feeling unsafe, and public ratings of the government’s performance on crime are overwhelmingly negative.
Many citizens who interacted with the police during the previous year say they had to pay a bribe to obtain assistance or avoid problems, and about one-third of respondents see most or all police officials as corrupt.
In significant numbers, respondents say police use excessive force and engage in illegal activities, and only about one in four say the police usually operate in a professional manner and respect all citizens’ rights.
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