Sunday, April 23: Sudan's Downward Spiral
Hmm I wonder what happens when colonizers flood a country with weapons?
As the violent situation in Sudan continues to devolve, it’s important to question how things got so bad. A near-total internet outage has been reported in the country today and fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) has persisted, despite the announcement of a 72-hour truce by both sides.
The question of who is to blame for the ongoing destruction may seem complex, but in the end it was always imperialism. The revolution of 2019, in which tens of thousands of protesters ended the 30 year dictatorship of President Omar Hasan al-Bashir, was advertised as ushering in a bright and democratic future. In reality it provided new opportunities for outside powers to pursue their own economic interests in Africa’s third largest country.
Sudan is a nation strategically located on both the Nile and the Red Sea, with vast mineral wealth and agricultural potential. Exactly the kind of place the US or Russia or China or France would love to sink their colonizing teeth into. The western powers pushed a rapid transition to democracy while also flooding the military forces with advanced weaponry and hoping to counter the influence of China and Russia in Africa.
“Everyone wanted a chunk of Sudan and it couldn’t take all the meddling. Too many competing interests and too many claims, then the fragile balance imploded, as you can see now.”
Magdi el-Gizouli, a Sudanese analyst at the Rift Valley Institute
As foreign powers picked sides and delivered weapons, they helped tilt the country toward war by empowering the military rivals now fighting Sudan’s army out on the streets of Khartoum. Among the most important foreign players in Sudan is the United Arab Emirates, the oil-rich country that has tried to aggressively expand its influence in the Horn of Africa in recent years.
The UAE’s interest in Sudan goes back over a decade, starting with the country’s incredible agricultural potential, which the Emiratis hoped could ease their own food supply worries. But the Emiratis quickly fell out with Mr. al-Bashir and once he was ousted, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia announced $3 billion in aid and investment to “help Sudan onto its feet”.
General Hamdan, leader of the RSF, grew incredibly rich from gold mined in Sudan and shipped to Dubai. He also visited Russian officials in Moscow at the start of the Ukraine invasion and partnered with the private Wagner military group in return for a license to mine gold in Sudan. This wealth, much of it conveniently held in Dubai, helped Hamdan build up his paramilitary forces, which are now better equipped than the regular Sudanese military. With this flood of money and weapons, it was only a matter of time before the situation spiraled into violent chaos.
Side Items
75 Years of Apartheid: The corrupt fascist apartheid state of Israel will celebrate its 75th birthday this week, probably by destroying more Palestinian livelihoods and exterminating some indigenous populations. For the past few months, tens of thousands of apartheid enablers have rallied in the streets against what they claim to be an assault by an ultranationalist “religious” government threatening a national identity rooted in aggression and occupation. Israeli fighter pilots have threatened to stop reporting for duty, which would unquestionably be a good thing, and the nation’s leaders have openly warned of civil war. Many Israelis wonder if the deep national divide can ever heal, much of the world holds its breath hoping that it doesn’t
Cop City Murder Update: When police shot and killed a 26-year-old Cop City protester earlier this year, there was immediately a narrative crafted that Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán was the first to open fire at law enforcement officers. The activist’s friends were certain of two things: that Tortuguita was murdered, and that whatever story the police offered would be a lie. Sure enough, police officials claimed that Tortuguita shot first and hit a state trooper. But in body camera footage that was later released, one officer can be heard saying that the cop had been shot by his fellow piglets. A previous, independent autopsy ordered by Tortuguita’s family found that the activist’s hands were raised when they were shot. Earlier this week, the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office released its own official autopsy report, which found no trace of gunpowder residue on the activist’s hands. The young man’s body was riddled with at least 57 gunshot wounds, including in their head, torso, hands, and legs. The medical examiner has unsurprisingly ruled the death a homicide, making the cops murderers