The Geopolitical Interests of Major Powers and the Progression of the Sudanese Civil War

Mbaeze, Netchy Christian (2025) The Geopolitical Interests of Major Powers and the Progression of the Sudanese Civil War. African Political Science Review, 17 (2). ISSN 2276-7185

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Abstract

Abstract The Sudanese Civil War represents a complex convergence of longstanding internal fragmentation and intensifying external geopolitical competition. This study examines how the strategic interests of major powers – the United States, China, and Russia – interact with Sudan’s domestic conflicts to shape the duration, intensity, and regional spillover of the war. Drawing on Realist, Liberal, and Constructivist perspectives, the study situates Sudan within broader global power rivalries characterized by competition over resources, security influence, and political alignment. Historically rooted in colonial legacies, governance failures, identity divisions, and resource conflicts, Sudan’s recurring instability has created openings for external actors to project influence through military assistance, economic investment, and diplomatic engagement. Findings indicate that Russia leverages military partnerships, private security actors, and resource diplomacy—particularly in gold and oil sectors—to expand its strategic foothold and counter Western influence. The United States primarily engages through counterterrorism operations, humanitarian assistance, and institutional mechanisms such as AFRICOM and AGOA, while simultaneously responding to increasing Chinese and Russian influence. China, in turn, pursues infrastructure-led development under the Belt and Road Initiative, securing access to critical resources while expanding long-term economic and political influence through non-interference diplomacy. Regional actors such as United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, further complicate the conflict through alignments with global powers and support to local factions. These overlapping external interventions have intensified the conflict by reinforcing factional capacities, prolonging hostilities, and deepening political fragmentation, and thus the war cannot be understood solely as an internal struggle but must be analyzed as part of a wider geopolitical contest in which global and regional powers shape conflict trajectories through competing strategic interests

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	J Political Science > JZ International relations
Divisions:	Faculty of Management and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	miss Rita Enih
Date Deposited:	04 May 2026 12:01
Last Modified:	04 May 2026 12:01
URI:	http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5641

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