Find our journalist’s explanations about the critical situation in the country

Egypt, first of all, is very involved in Sudan. The model of Major General Al-Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese army, is Field Marshal Al-Sisi. Cairo also sees in Sudan, mainly, a vassal country, where it is necessary to exert influence to control geopolitical factors (to build the line of its allies against Ethiopia, for example) but also natural resources (Egypt imports agricultural products and meat at low prices, and this is vital) .

In sum, Cairo cannot bring itself to see in power a hostile leader in Khartoum. The relations between “Hemedti” and Ethiopia are undoubtedly exaggerated, pushing Egypt more to support General Al-Burhan. Europeans, for their part, have an infinitely narrower view. Basically, their aspirations are based on the priority need to prevent migratory flows. And in this role, Hemedti and the FSRs played a key role. This is not a reason for the European Union to align with it, but it shows the limits of European projection in this region.

For its part, the United States has viewed Sudan with particular interest since the 1980s, when, under the dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, the country became a kind of little Islamic devil for the conservative right and Christian circles. There is an electorate in the United States that has Sudan on its mental map, and this is important in Washington.

But, on the other hand, the country is now seen as a battleground for geopolitical influence with Russia, or perhaps China tomorrow. The United States, like the Europeans, supported the democratic movement that emerged during the major demonstrations of 2019 that caused the downfall of Omar al-Bashir. Then, when the transitional authority was overthrown in a coup, there was little to defend. For some time, “Hemeti”, presenting himself as an objective ally of the Democrats – a shame but showing his talents – while getting along with many regional actors, exercised a kind of flattery in their eyes, but without a clear preference. .

Now that the guns are starting to speak, these concepts will be subjected to the “acid test” of constant self-destruction and we will have to rely on a comprehensive formula for strength.