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Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / War and military activity · Sudan · 2023–2025

Al-Jaili refinery fires and wartime damage in Khartoum, 2023–2025

Nature's voice · report
On 23 January 2025 smoke from the burning refinery spread over more than 300 km of my air, CEOBS reported from satellite observation.
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record. Disputed
Recorded
  • Planet Labs images showed burned oil tanks "covered in soot" and thick black smoke drifting toward Khartoum, AP reported. AP via Boston Globe
  • CEOBS identified 401 incidents across Khartoum's main industrial zones between April 2023 and January 2024, and at least 100,000 tonnes of debris, possibly containing asbestos and unexploded ordnance, in one 57 km² area. Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS)
What the record lacks: 4 none on record · 1 self-reported only · 4 disputed · 1 unclear See the gaps
Accounts of the harm differ
Responsibility for the January 2025 fire at the refinery
  • Government and regulators Sudanese Armed Forces: Said the RSF "deliberately set fire to the Khartoum refinery in al-Jaili this morning". AP via Boston Globe
  • Government and regulators Rapid Support Forces: Said military aircraft dropped "barrel bombs" on the facility, "completely destroying it". AP via Boston Globe
  • Press and investigations AP: Wrote that "neither side offered evidence" for its claims. AP via Boston Globe
  • Researchers CEOBS: Wrote that "Recurring periods of fighting and occupation of the strategically important site have seen repeated large fires." Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS)

Repeated fires and strikes damaged the Al-Jaili refinery north of Khartoum, Sudan's largest, jointly owned by the Sudanese government and CNPC. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) each attributed the January 2025 fire to the other; AP wrote that neither side offered evidence.

Over 300 kmSmoke plume from the 23 January 2025 refinery fire
Reported by CEOBS from satellite observation. The refinery has a capacity of 100,000 barrels a day (AP).

Status As of 25 January 2025 (latest dated source on the fire): the SAF said it had taken control of the refinery; no environmental assessment of the damage is on record.

What?
Repeated fires and strikes damaged the Al-Jaili refinery north of Khartoum between 2023 and January 2025; the SAF and the RSF each attributed the January 2025 fire to the other. AP via Boston Globe
Where?
Al-Jaili (El Jeili) refinery, north of Khartoum Bahri, Sudan, and the Khartoum industrial zones. Radio Dabanga
When?
Refinery operating since 2000; RSF control from April 2023 (Radio Dabanga); strike on 21 May 2024; major fire on 23 January 2025. Radio Dabanga
Who?
Gained
None on record
Lost
  • The refinery owners, the Sudanese government and CNPC — Damage to a refinery with a capacity of 100,000 barrels a day; an analyst cited estimates of USD 5 billion in oil-sector losses in the first year of the war and calculated about USD 4 billion more from the refinery bombings Radio Dabanga
Harmed
Why?
The SAF said the RSF deliberately set fire to the refinery; the RSF said military aircraft dropped barrel bombs on it. AP wrote that neither side offered evidence. AP via Boston Globe
How?
Fires spread across the complex and burned oil tanks, as seen in NASA and Planet Labs satellite imagery reported by AP. AP via Boston Globe
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

The Al-Jaili refinery, north of Khartoum Bahri, began operating in 2000 and is owned jointly by the Sudanese government and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), according to Radio Dabanga. Its capacity is 100,000 barrels a day (AP). Refinery board member Kamal El Tayeb said before the war it supplied about 60% of Sudan's petrol, 48% of its diesel and 50% of its cooking gas needs. Sources place the site about 45 km (CEOBS), about 60 km (AP) and 70 km (Dabanga) north of Khartoum.

Radio Dabanga reported that the RSF had controlled the site since April 2023. On 21 May 2024 the refinery was struck; the RSF accused the SAF of bombing it, and Dabanga reported no SAF response. Dabanga wrote that it was unclear whether the whole site or only two large fuel tanks were destroyed.

In January 2025 fires spread across the complex. AP reported that NASA fire-tracking satellites detected fires starting on the Thursday before 25 January, and that Planet Labs images showed burned oil tanks "covered in soot" and thick black smoke drifting toward Khartoum. The SAF said in a statement that the RSF "deliberately set fire to the Khartoum refinery in al-Jaili this morning"; the RSF said military aircraft dropped "barrel bombs" on the facility, "completely destroying it". AP wrote that "neither side offered evidence". The SAF later said its forces had taken control of the refinery.

CEOBS wrote that "Recurring periods of fighting and occupation of the strategically important site have seen repeated large fires", and reported a smoke plume of over 300 km on 23 January 2025 from satellite observation. It identified 401 incidents across Khartoum's main industrial zones between April 2023 and January 2024, and debris of at least 100,000 tonnes in one 57 km² area, possibly containing asbestos and unexploded ordnance. By March 2024 only one of 13 water treatment plants in Khartoum State was working, CEOBS reported.

Economic analyst Kamal Karrar, speaking to Radio Dabanga, cited Ministry of Petroleum estimates of USD 5 billion in oil-sector losses in the first year of the war and calculated about USD 4 billion more in losses from the refinery bombings. The UN Secretary-General's office warned of "serious economic and environmental implications" of escalation, AP reported.

  1. 2000Refinery begins operating
  2. 2023Apr: the RSF controls the site, according to Radio Dabanga
  3. 202421 May: strike on the site; the RSF accuses the SAF. Apr 2023 – Jan 2024: CEOBS identifies 401 incidents in Khartoum's industrial zones
  4. 202523 Jan: major fire, with a smoke plume of over 300 km (CEOBS); late Jan: the SAF says it has taken control of the refinery

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“deliberately set fire to the Khartoum refinery in al-Jaili this morning”

“completely destroying it”

RSF statement, saying military aircraft dropped "barrel bombs" on the facility (via AP) · 2025-01 · AP via Boston Globe

“neither side offered evidence”

“serious economic and environmental implications”

“Recurring periods of fighting and occupation of the strategically important site have seen repeated large fires.”

“Emissions like sulphur dioxide from the bombardment can cause long term, cumulative problems in living beings.”

Khaled El Ananze, former UNMIS environmental engineer · 2024-05-25 · Radio Dabanga

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

Responsibility for the January 2025 fire at the refinery
Government and regulators
Sudanese Armed Forces

Said the RSF "deliberately set fire to the Khartoum refinery in al-Jaili this morning".

AP via Boston Globe
Government and regulators
Rapid Support Forces

Said military aircraft dropped "barrel bombs" on the facility, "completely destroying it".

AP via Boston Globe
Press and investigations
AP

Wrote that "neither side offered evidence" for its claims.

AP via Boston Globe
Researchers
CEOBS

Wrote that "Recurring periods of fighting and occupation of the strategically important site have seen repeated large fires."

Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS)
The May 2024 strike on the refinery
Government and regulators
Rapid Support Forces

Accused the SAF of bombing the refinery again.

Radio Dabanga
Government and regulators
Sudanese Armed Forces

No response reported by Radio Dabanga.

Radio Dabanga

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

  • The RSF deliberately set fire to the Khartoum refinery in al-Jaili.
    SAF statement, January 2025, via AP · AP via Boston Globe
  • Military aircraft dropped barrel bombs on the facility, completely destroying it.
    RSF, January 2025, via AP · AP via Boston Globe
  • The SAF bombed the refinery again.
    RSF, May 2024, via Radio Dabanga · Radio Dabanga

Recorded

  • NASA fire-tracking satellites detected fires across the complex starting on the Thursday before 25 January 2025; Planet Labs images showed burned oil tanks "covered in soot" (AP).
    AP via Boston Globe
  • Before the war the refinery supplied about 60% of petrol, 48% of diesel and 50% of cooking gas needs (refinery board member Kamal El Tayeb, via Radio Dabanga); CEOBS gives 60% of gasoline.
    Radio Dabanga
  • CEOBS identified 401 incidents across Khartoum's main industrial zones between April 2023 and January 2024.
    Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS)
  • CEOBS reported debris of at least 100,000 tonnes in one 57 km² area, possibly containing asbestos and unexploded ordnance, and that by March 2024 only one of 13 water treatment plants in Khartoum State was working.
    Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS)
  • Khaled El Ananze warned of acid rain and groundwater pollution and called for a rapid environmental impact assessment.
    Radio Dabanga

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
No figure published.

Gained elsewhere

Not totalled
Oil-sector losses in the first year of the war, Ministry of Petroleum estimates cited by analyst Kamal Karrar (via Radio Dabanga) estimate$5bn
Window: first year of the war
Further losses from the refinery bombings, the analyst's own calculation (via Radio Dabanga) estimate≈ $4bn
Currency: USD · Window: Mixed — see each line. Figures cover different periods and are not compared as a ratio. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

  • Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) (2025-01): Said the RSF "deliberately set fire to the Khartoum refinery in al-Jaili this morning"; its spokesman Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdallah later said its forces had taken control of the refinery. · AP via Boston Globe
  • Rapid Support Forces (RSF) (2025-01): Said military aircraft dropped "barrel bombs" on the facility, "completely destroying it"; in May 2024 accused the SAF of bombing the refinery. · AP via Boston Globe
  • Office of the UN Secretary-General (2025-01): Warned of "serious economic and environmental implications" of escalation. · AP via Boston Globe

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

Smoke plume from the 23 January 2025 fire
Over 300 km
CEOBS, from satellite observation
Incidents in Khartoum industrial zones, April 2023 – January 2024
401
CEOBS
Debris in one 57 km² area
At least 100,000 tonnes
Possibly containing asbestos and unexploded ordnance (CEOBS)

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
No court caseNo independent ecological evaluationKey earnings undisclosed

Nature

  • Disputed Responsibility for the January 2025 fire at the refinery

Court

Accounts

  • Disputed The May 2024 strike on the refinery
  • None on record Sudanese Armed Forces: No response reported by Radio Dabanga.

Record

  • Disputed Disputed: responsibility for the January 2025 fires — the SAF attributed them to the RSF and the RSF attributed the destruction to SAF aircraft; AP wrote that neither side offered evidence.
  • Disputed Figures differ: the refinery is placed about 45 km (CEOBS), about 60 km (AP) and 70 km (Radio Dabanga) north of Khartoum.
  • Self-reported only Self-reported only: the USD 4 billion loss from the refinery bombings is the analyst's own calculation (Radio Dabanga).
  • Unclear Unclear: whether the whole refinery site or only two large fuel tanks were destroyed in May 2024 (Radio Dabanga).
  • None on record None on record: an environmental impact assessment of the refinery damage; measured air, soil or water data from the site.
  • None on record None on record: legal proceedings; insurance.

Did the harm stop?

None on record. CEOBS wrote that repeated fires followed recurring periods of fighting and occupation of the site.

Who paid?

None on record.

Sources

Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations✓ Communities and civil society— Researchers

Press and investigations

Communities and civil society

  1. The environmental costs of the war in Sudan
    Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) · 2025-05-21

Connected cases

Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
Terms used on this page

Science and environment

Groundwater
Water held underground in soil and rock, drawn through wells.
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