The ongoing war in Sudan is severely damaging the country’s science, health, and education sectors, threatening its future and that of Africa. The Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), representing 30 African academies, issued the attached statement that highlights Sudan as an extreme case due to the scale of destruction and its consequences on scientific freedoms, infrastructure, and personnel.
Universities, research centers, libraries, labs, and cultural heritage sites have been destroyed. Scientists, students, and university staff have been displaced, leading to significant brain drain. The war has interrupted medical studies and caused environmental disasters, including chemical pollution from gold mining and severe flooding.
The Sudanese National Academy of Sciences has called for international support to assist displaced academics and rebuild scientific and health institutions. University partnerships have proven useful in sustaining education amid crisis. NASAC urges the global community to act to preserve Sudan’s scientific future, emphasizing that the recovery of Sudan’s science sector is vital not just for the country, but for the continent and the world.

NASAC statement: