Sudan and the United States… Calculations of Gains and Losses
By Dr. Abdel Rauf Qarnas
Since Sudan’s independence in 1956, its relationship with the United States has been governed solely by American interests — not by the interests of the people or considerations of justice. Sudan has never truly been considered an equal partner by Washington, but rather as an arena for settling regional and international scores, and at times as a testing ground for policies of dominance and pressure.
During the First Southern War (1955–1972), the United States covertly backed the rebel movements and contributed in various ways to prolonging the conflict. Then came the Second War (1983–2005), which revealed the true face of direct American support for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led by John Garang, under the pretext of fighting “extremist regimes” and “supporting the peripheries.” The disastrous outcome was the secession of South Sudan — a country that has yet to experience stability or development to this day.
After the December 2018 revolution, which represented a genuine hope for Sudanese people seeking change, the United States demanded that the transitional government pay $350 million in compensation to the victims of the USS Cole bombing and the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania — as if Sudan were the culprit, even though the world knows the real story behind those cases. This compensation was imposed as a condition for removing Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism — one of the harshest examples of political and financial blackmail.
Today, with the eruption of the 2023 Khartoum war, the United States once again stands in its usual place: equating the Sudanese national army — the constitutional guardian of the state — with lawless rebel militias, through what is known as the International Quad. It has tried to impose settlements that serve neither Sudan nor its stability.
So, what has the United States actually given to Sudan?
Support for rebellion
Economic blackmail
Equating the state with armed gangs
Blatant interference in national affairs under the banner of “mediation”
The result of this relationship: the loss of a homeland, the weakening of the state, and a threat to what remains of Sudan’s unity.
The US under Trump… When Blackmail Becomes Policy
Under President Donald Trump — who calculated every dollar and approached international relations with a deal-maker’s mindset — it was never expected that Sudan would be granted its rightful dues or treated as an equal. In Washington’s eyes, Sudan has always remained the weakest link — one that could be economically pressured and politically extorted.
Yet the truth that many overlook is that Sudan is a country rich in natural resources and possesses what many nations do not:
An inexhaustible source of solar energy
Fertile agricultural land
Abundant rainfall
A flowing Nile
This is Sudan… and the future belongs to those who possess these treasures.
A day will come when the world realises that whoever controls Sudan, controls part of the future of humanity.
Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=6596