By Savannah Hamilton
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed here are those of the authors. View more opinions on ScoonTV
Sudan is facing one of the most brutal crises of this decade, yet it hardly gets decent global attention. And that’s partly because what looks like a typical third-world warlord feud is something far bigger — a proxy stage funded by foreign players with very real regional interests.
The African nation has barely had a moment of peace since gaining independence in 1956, having survived nearly 35 coups — an almost unbelievable number that also tells you everything you need to know. And yes, internal politics are absolutely part of the problem, but they’re far from the whole story. Because if history teaches us anything, no country endures this much chaos without powerful friends… or very determined meddlers.
But who’s responsible? And why? Short answer is a bit of everyone, with one Middle Eastern power appearing most heavily involved. Long answer… that’s where things get messy.
How We Got Here
The ongoing civil war, which began in 2023, came only a few years after the fall of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Sudanese civilians wanted democracy. What they got instead were two men on a power trip stepping in as “saviors,” both armed with heroic speeches but very different agendas.
Those men — General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed “Hemedti” Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — became partners out of pure convenience.
Hemedti’s RSF grew from the Janjaweed militias responsible for the Darfur atrocities of the early 2000s. Burhan came from the traditional army elite. Together, they staged a coup in 2021, promising a “transition.” But like every fragile alliance in Sudan’s political history, theirs was pretty much doomed from the start.
The plan was to merge their forces into one unified army — on paper, at least. In reality, neither intended to give up the power, wealth, or influence. The bromance cracked, then crumbled, and by April 2023, it shattered completely.
Today, the country is slowly being torn apart into two. The SAF controls the north and east from Port Sudan, while the RSF dominates almost all of Darfur and the west. And Khartoum (once a bustling capital) is essentially a burnt-out ruin.
Both Sides Are Brutal
It’s worth noting that there is no “good guy” in this war. The RSF and the SAF are both equally horrific in their own ways, and the only people with clean hands are the civilians trapped in the crossfire — literally.
Most international coverage focuses on the RSF as the main villain, which makes sense. Their campaign in Darfur alone has been openly genocidal — non-Arab communities wiped out, women taken as war trophies, children tortured, entire towns erased… the list goes on.
But the SAF isn’t some noble alternative. Far from it, in fact. Their war crimes only get less attention because they look more “traditional” — airstrikes on residential neighborhoods, bombed hospitals, blocked food supplies, and protesters shot for challenging the old military order. Different methods, same cruelty.
Sudan’s war is, at its core, an Arab-elite power struggle fought on the backs of innocent non-Arab civilians. These men aren’t fighting for democracy, justice, or stability. They’re fighting for resources and absolute control — and they’re willing to burn the entire country down to get what they want.
But Who’s Running the Show?
Although Sudan is no stranger to domestic conflict, analysts note that clashes of this scale don’t simply “happen” because two ambitious generals wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Power struggles need funding. They need weapons. More importantly, they need patrons.
Think of foreign involvement in Sudan as basically a nightclub VIP list — officially “exclusive,” unofficially packed with everyone sneaking in through the side door and pretending they’re not there.
The guest list starts with Russia— or more specifically, Wagner’s successor, the Africa Corps, now effectively under Putin’s control. Their relationship with the RSF goes back years, straight into Prigozhin’s golden age (pun intended). Satellite images, intercepted communications, and on-the-ground reports point to Russian trainers and weapons flowing to RSF units in exchange for access to gold mines.
Technically, it’s the perfect deal. Moscow gets a sanctions-proof cash supply to fund its other “international affairs” and potential leverage over the Red Sea. Of course, in classic Kremlin fashion, Russia neither confirms nor denies.
Israel’s role is murkier. Officially, it isn’t backing anyone with multiple investigative journalists suggesting they’re playing both sides for benefit. Unofficially, analysts say Jerusalem’s interests are straightforward — counter Iran and secure Red Sea shipping lanes.
Mossad has operated in Sudan for decades, tracking Hamas smuggling routes, and there are credible hints that Israeli intelligence has quietly shared information with groups fighting Iranian-linked networks, which could include elements of the SAF.
Then there’s also the neighborhood crew like Egypt, Chad, Haftar’s Libyan network, and other Sahel intermediaries — each with their own reasons to poke at Sudan’s instability, if only just to secure their own safety. Arms routes, smuggling corridors, political leverage, border influence… everyone seems to want something.
And let’s not forget other background players, such as Turkey, Iran, and a handful more, who have all dipped their hands in at some point or another.
Definitely seems like Sudan isn’t just a conflict anymore — it’s a regional free-for-all where every outsider claims they’re “just observing,” while somehow always leaving with their pockets heavier.
But these are all secondary staff. Because when you follow the footprints, details point to one country driving the escalation more than anyone else.
And all roads lead to Abu Dhabi.
The Silent Architect
Let’s start with the things that go boom.
You can tell a lot about a conflict by tracking the weapons, and in Sudan, the trail loops back to the same place again and again — no matter how much everyone insists otherwise.
The RSF has been filmed using weapons manufactured in Serbia, Canada, Turkey, China (to name a few) — an oddly diverse shopping list that becomes far less mysterious once you recognize the common denominator.
None of these countries has any real stake in Sudan. But every single one has strong business, diplomatic, and (more importantly) direct arms-trade ties with the UAE.
And that’s just what’s visible. Behind the scenes, leaked documents, cargo manifests, and multiple UN expert reports paint an even clearer picture. Meanwhile, some Egyptian military sources have suggested that the Emirates might be using Balkan brokers specifically to hide their weapon supply business.
According to UN investigators, the UAE has been supplying the RSF through Libya and Chad, often disguising shipments as “aid.” Their sources are described as consistent and credible. Meanwhile, drones, fuel trucks, cash deliveries, and even hired fighters repeatedly appear in RSF-held areas — usually routed through the same transit countries.
Somalia is the giveaway. Bosaso airport is widely known as a hub for “off-the-books” business, and has received numerous cargo flights tied to UAE companies — flights with stuff that somehow (very conveniently) ends up arming the RSF.
And then there are the Colombian mercenaries, flown into Darfur on charters allegedly financed by the UAE, according to documents from Sudan’s Foreign Ministry.
The UAE, of course, also denies everything. But denials don’t erase satellite images of late-night flight landings. They don’t explain weapons that shouldn’t be there. And they definitely don’t explain the gold.
Which brings us to…
The Man with the Midas Touch
Hemedti’s power doesn’t come from guns — it comes from gold. His family controls a massive gold empire across Darfur and beyond, and Sudan’s gold is one of the largest unregulated mineral flows on the planet.
Guess where much of it ends up?
Ding, ding, ding! Dubai!!!
The UAE’s gold markets are notorious for handling conflict gold with a “don’t ask, don’t tell” attitude — exactly what a warlord needs. The RSF exports tons of it. The UAE buys tons of it. And the profits (billions of dollars, by the way) flow straight back to fund guns, fuel, and mercenaries.
Naturally, the UAE isn’t complaining. The country has never been shy about “strategic investments,” especially when they involve valuable minerals. And who in their right mind says no to cheap gold?
Even beyond the smuggling networks, the UAE also appears to have direct investments in Sudanese gold mines, including through UAE-registered companies and at least one Russian-Emirati mining venture reportedly active on the ground.
So even if the UAE isn’t pulling the trigger in Sudan, it’s effectively bankrolling the war that keeps Hemedti in business — which some would argue is essentially the same thing.
So, Why Sudan?
We’ve covered means and opportunity. Now the motive.
Why would anyone be so fixated on Sudan, this “random poor country in Africa” most people probably couldn’t find on a map?
Gold is one piece of the puzzle, sure. But it’s far from the whole picture — and reducing Sudan’s appeal to shiny things alone misses why so many powerful states are circling it.
The easy guess is oil. Logical, yes, but far too simple.
Start with geography. Sudan sits in one of the most strategic locations on Earth — seven borders, the Nile, and a coastline opening directly onto the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest trade arteries.
Then come the resources: fertile farmland, uranium, copper, chromium, still-profitable oil assets — you name it, they’ve got it.
And, yes, of course, gold is part of that. As one of Africa’s top producers, with massive amounts flowing through unregulated channels, Sudan offers the kind of financial opacity that shady foreign actors love.
Put it all together, and Sudan stops looking like a forgotten crisis and starts looking like prime geopolitical real estate, which explains the endless outside interference.
And this brings us back to the UAE. Many point fingers at them because if you look at their pattern — Somaliland’s Berbera port, Yemen’s islands, Libya’s coast — the strategy is obvious. They conveniently find themselves wherever business, ports, or minerals create opportunity. So, their alleged push for a foothold in Port Sudan and their ties to gold mining fit that playbook almost too perfectly.
Why Isn’t This Front-Page News?
Hundreds of thousands dead, more than ten million displaced, entire cities wiped out. By sheer scale of suffering, Sudan should be right up there with Gaza and Ukraine. Yet the silence is shockingly deafening.
One reason is brutally practical — Sudan is now the deadliest country in Africa for journalists. Kill the messenger and the story dies with them.
But there’s a colder, more calculated (yet related) layer too.
For starters, Gaza and Ukraine already own the global spotlight, and global audiences have been trained to switch off at “another African crisis.” Some more cynical people would also add that, “Since no one involved is blonde or blue-eyed, who’s gonna care?” Yes, sadly, empathy still travels on a color-coded passport.
Then come the personal interests. Let’s assume, for example, that the allegations against the UAE are true, in which case many governments, Western especially, are already deeply intertwined — be it via money, infrastructure, tech, real estate, energy. Calling out a partner that valuable is political poison, and no president or prime minister is willing to take the risk.
Not to mention, media outlets won’t bite the advertisers who help bankroll the war. Governments won’t sanction friends who keep the lights on. And social media algorithms reward outrage that’s simple and familiar, not a messy proxy fight in the middle of nowhere.
Humanitarian agencies? Nope. Overstretched, underfunded, and routinely attacked if they try anything.
Bottom line is Sudan isn’t being ignored because it’s small. It’s being ignored because exposing it fully would be inconvenient for the people who hold higher power. Although there’s a bit of hope here now, with young activists increasingly bringing attention to the matter, and calling for a boycott of all things UAE.
What Happens Next
The war is reaching a brutal tipping point. The RSF controls nearly all of Darfur, huge parts of the west, and recently captured El-Fasher after an 18-month siege. The SAF controls the northeast and Port Sudan but is stretched thin, reliant on Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and politically isolated.
Sudan is unraveling with millions displaced, famine escalating, and genocide still underway. The UN can barely operate. African mediation has stalled. And Gulf states are preoccupied with their own crises.
What about Western diplomacy? Somewhere between “concerned” and “asleep.” Although US Secretary of State Marko Rubio did recently call out countries that allow their territory to be used to aid the conflict (looking at you, Somalia).
But there may be a small glimmer of hope. Donald Trump announced last week that the US is considering intervening to end the war, reportedly at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This follows new US–Saudi economic and security deals — deals that conveniently place American influence back at the Red Sea table.
Whether Trump’s promise becomes action or just noise is anyone’s guess. Sudan has been burned by big promises before.
And this is where international silence becomes part of the problem. Too many actors are hedging their bets — backing both sides, waiting to see who wins, or simply protecting their own interests while civilians are slaughtered.
The people with the power to intervene, pressure their allies, or even just call things what they are… just aren’t doing it. And unfortunately, the longer everyone plays neutrality, the more space it gives the RSF and SAF to tear the country apart.
Curtis Scoon is the founder of ScoonTv.com Download the ScoonTv App to join our weekly livestream every Tuesday @ 8pm EST! Support true independent media. Become a VIP member www.scoontv.com/vip-signup/ and download the ScoonTv App from your App Store.
