Sudan, a test for multilateralists

The ongoing conflict in Sudan presents an opportunity to restore faith in multilateralism. Sudan, Africa‘s third-largest country, has been plunged yet again into violence and chaos arising from the power struggle between two factions of the military regime, which derailed the country‘s fragile transition to democracy in a coup in 2021. The 72-hour ceasefire, while uneasy and imperfect, must be used to do more than just evacuate foreign nationals. Allowing for an orderly transition to a democracy – election is due later this year – is an opportunity, and a test, to demonstrate that rules-based global order is a force for good that delivers for all countries, particularly poorest developing ones.

Sudan is located bordering the Red Sea, the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa. Its strategic location, and agricultural and mineral wealth, particularly gold, put it on the radar of many countries – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, Russia, China, Israel – for different reasons. This makes Sudan a perfect playground for a proxy war between Western countries and its allies and the Russia-China combine. All efforts should be made to use the three-day ceasefire to put forward a pathway for finalising the framework deal that would put power in the hands of civilians as agreed upon last December.

With the G20 presidency, India has made giving voice to the global south a priority. This means providing a better understanding of the concerns and needs of poor developing countries. As a party untainted by the big power game, a fellow developing country and a democracy, India can emerge as an honest broker. Working with other countries to bring peace, democracy and prosperity to Sudan is a task that India, wishing to play a more engaging role in world affairs, should take up.