SUDAN’S POWER STRUGGLE MATTERS WELL BEYOND ITS BORDERS
The MED This Week newsletter provides expert analysis and informed comments on the MENA region’s most significant issues and trends. Today we focus on Sudan, where the violent clashes between two rival factions has thrown the country into one of the worst crises in its recent history, with several implications for the region.
Violence in Sudan continues to rage and likely won’t abate. Since April 13, the country has been turning into a battleground for rival armed factions. The Sudanese Army on one side – led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan – and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the other – the powerful paramilitary group headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) – are locked in an open conflict throughout the country. Internally, the crisis could jeopardize the transition from military rule to a civilian-led democracy. However, it also has the potential to further undermine regional stability and compromise the interests of neighbouring countries. Given their substantial economic support to the Burhan-Hemedti interim government, Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are now pressuring both sides to adopt a diplomatic solution that could protect their long-term strategic interests in the African country. For Egypt and Türkiye, a full-fledged civil war in Sudan would represent a significant threat to their presence in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa – especially for the Cairo-led front against Ethiopia’s Great Renaissance Dam. Lastly, Russia, which has links with both factions, is becoming an increasingly influential player in Sudan, as shown by Moscow’s attempts (usually spearheaded by the Wagner paramilitary group) to access Sudan’s Red Sea ports and mineral resources.
Experts of the ISPI MED network react to the domestic and regional implications of the ongoing clash between Sudan’s top military leaders.
