The US is losing the battle for influence in Africa and it knows this. Other major powers like China, Russia, etc have made significant in...
The US is losing the battle for influence in Africa and it
knows this. Other major powers like China, Russia, etc have made significant
inroads in Africa, making it difficult for the US to continue its hegemony in
the continent. Russia’s growing influence in Africa is a reality that the US
has slowly come to acknowledge and is taking steps to cut down Russia’s rising
dominance. Considering the scenario, the US is now trying to hold its ground in
Sudan and making desperate attempts to stop it from joining the Russian camp.
US Urges Holdout
Groups to Join Talks
The US Ambassador to Sudan has urged former rebel groups who
did not take part in a post-coup political deal to join talks seeking to
restore civilian rule.
US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey said, “there are groups
that have remained outside the framework political agreement so far. I think
it’s important to note that the process remains open for them to come in. Our
understanding is that efforts continue to try to find a way to meet a situation
where they feel like they could join the process and we would certainly urge
them to consider doing that”.
Further, the US has also made it clear that for restoration
of “other lines of assistance” to Sudan which were paused at the time of the
military takeover, is a must for return
of a new civilian-led government in Sudan.
Last month, military leaders and some civilian factions
agreed on the first of a two-phase political process aiming to end the
political turmoil that resulted from a military coup led by army chief Abdel
Fattah al-Burhan.
Another round of talks is expected in the coming weeks over
key contentious issues including transitional justice, accountability, and
security reforms.
Political Crisis in
Sudan
On October 25, 2021, the Sudanese military led by General
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan overthrew the government of Prime Minister Abdalla
Hamdok and took control of the government in a military coup.
The civilian Prime Minister refused to declare support for
the coup and had called for popular resistance but he was moved to house arrest
and a number of pro-government supporters were arrested which was followed by
the imposition of a state of emergency.
The military coup triggered weekly demonstrations, with
activists demanding a civilian government. As per reports, more than 120 people
have been killed in the crackdown on anti-coup demonstrations.
The coup has also deepened a spiralling economic crisis and
heightened ethnic clashes in Sudan’s remote regions, which killed around 900
people last year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
US Attempts to Halt
Russia’s Influence
The US is wary of growing pro-Russian sentiments in Africa.
The US hosted the recent US-Africa summit to bridge this growing trust gap with
Africa and counter the influence of its geopolitical rivals. We have seen how
countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, etc. are building
closer ties with Russia and its Wagner group and France has been forced to
withdraw its military interventions from Mali.
Many African countries are dealing with political
instability coupled with military coups and insurgency. Same goes for Sudan
too. Further, when Sudan had lost Western support after last year’s military
coup, there were reports that Moscow was boosting its relations with its
longtime African ally Sudan. In the past too, Sudan had relied militarily on
Russia under strongman Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019 and whose tenure
was marked by international isolation and crippling US sanctions. As per report,
in December 2020, Russia also announced a 25-year deal with Sudan to build and
operate a naval base at Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Moreover, Sudan had also
abstained from a UN General Assembly vote condemning Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine.
Thus, now the US is trying to woo Sudan once again. At the
time of the military takeover, the US had cut off aid to Sudan. Given that the
US has realised that abandoning and isolating Sudan will only work against its
own geopolitical interest, it is likely to make efforts to restrict Russian
control.
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