Khartoum 'Back to Life' – But Whose 'Life' Are They Talking About?
📰 THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that markets in Khartoum are 'back to life' almost three years after war broke out between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but notes that 'it's nothing like before' due to ongoing displacement and death. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The article mentions the 2021 ouster of a transitional government by the army and RSF.
What it conveniently omits is the deeper history of external interference: the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Sudan in 1997, crippling its economy for two decades. More recently, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have heavily backed the RSF, providing arms and pushing for their own regional influence, exacerbating internal divisions since at least 2013 when the RSF was formalized as a powerful
paramilitary force, often deployed for 'border control' with Libyan mercenaries. Double Standard: Western media often frames African conflicts as internally generated chaos, devoid of external actors. Compare this to Ukraine, where every Russian action is meticulously linked to a grand geopolitical strategy. In Sudan, the $1.3 billion in US aid to neighboring Egypt (which shares a border with
Sudan) annually ensures compliance on issues like controlling the Rafah crossing, but provides little transparency on preventing arms flows into Sudan or holding regional state actors accountable for fueling the conflict. Follow the Money: Beyond direct arms sales from global powers like Russia, China, and the UAE, the real prize in Sudan is its vast mineral wealth, particularly gold. The RSF