A local violent squabble in Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country, between the president and his vice-president, leaders of the transitional government after a 2019 coup that ousted long-term dictator Omar al-Bashir, could have wider ramifications. Both Egypt and Saudi Araba have a stake in the game, as well as the Russians through Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group.
Inside Sudan, it pits the armed forces against a paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) originally known as the infamous Janjaweed for its atrocities and genocide in Darfur, resulting in 400,000 deaths. Although Saudi Arabia is calling for peace it has heavily supported the RSF financially in recent years and hired RSF troops to fight against Houthi rebels in Yemen’s civil war. The outcome may eventually depend on which of the rival generals can secure financial backing from either Cairo or Riyadh.
The RSF has also been linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group, brought into Sudan by Bashir to help shore up his faltering regime in 2017. Following a meeting with Putin Bashir promised to make the country Russia’s “key to Africa”. Ever since, Wagner has supplied large quantities of weapons and equipment and it continues to operate a gold mining company, reportedly smuggling vast quantities of gold out of the country, amongst other things helping to fuel the war in Ukraine.
Gulf states are concerned about instability on the Red Sea — a key trade route — and fear the rise of Islamists in the region as does Egypt who supports the non-RSF side. The concern is that it could spiral out of control at which point Egypt might assert itself and Ethiopia. One commentator said: “If it is possible, my wish is for the two military sides to be defeated. Sudan would be much better without either of them.”
Chad, Eritrea and South Sudan could face a deluge of refugees, adding to their own internal struggles. A power vacuum could enable extremist groups across the region to take advantage of what is happening, as Al Quaeda did in the early 1990s, which would obviously undermine British and American security.
Richard Kemp in the Telegraph suggests: “Sudan may be just the first African nation to implode under Russian influence. In the Central African Republic, Mozambique, Libya and Mali, Russian mercenaries have worked to reinforce existing conflicts, prop up despotic regimes, suppress efforts towards democracy, loot natural resources, secure strategic advantage for Moscow and drive out Western influence. The forces unleashed by their efforts will not be easily contained.”
Sudan, 1 January 1956, does have the devastating and confused tr Pluto square Neptune exactly now and throughout 2024, with tr Pluto moving on in 2024/25 to upend the Uranus as well. Plus an explosive tr Uranus opposition Mars from this June, running on in a highly disruptive opposition to the Saturn and square Pluto in 2025/26. There’s nothing to suggest a peaceful truce anytime soon.
18 degrees fixed at the moment for these few significant days until May 11th are highlighted in:
Egyptian President Al-Sisi’s relationship chart with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) of Saudi Arabia has tr Uranus in a high-tension, eruptive opposition to the Saturn, moving on to oppose the composite Mars in June onwards. It is also sending a high-voltage jolt through Al Sisi’s Presidency chart, 8 June 2014, as tr Uranus opposes the Saturn. In his own chart as well, 19 November 1954, tr Uranus is heading to square the Mars in Aquarius from early May onwards which could light a fuse, is certainly bad tempered, insecure leading to rash decisions.
MBS, 31 August 1985, could also be tempted into reckless over-reactions come this August with tr Uranus opposition his Saturn and through 2024 squaring his Mars.
The Egypt/USA chart looks rattled with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun at 18 Taurus.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, 1 June 1961, has a volatile, explosive Mars Uranus in Leo of which the midpoint is catching the 18 degree tr Uranus square exactly now, so he will be on red alert.
This decade is turning out to be an absolute horror.
“There’s a reason why the fighting that has erupted there over the past week is ringing so many international alarm bells. Sudan is not only huge – the third largest country in Africa – it also stretches across an unstable and geopolitically vital region.”
“The country straddles the Nile River, making the nation’s fate of almost existential importance; downstream, to water-hungry Egypt, and upstream, to land-locked Ethiopia with its ambitious hydro-electric plans that now affect the river’s flow.” BBC website, 20 April, 2023
The involvement of Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia in these regions is very disturbing to think about.
I feel bad for the ordinary Sudanese citizens who are having to endure this tragedy. However, I have absolutely no empathy for Sudan’s government. Let the opposing factions destroy one another for all I care.
Let’s remember, the Sudanese Arab-controlled government has been waging a genocide against the Indigenous Black African ethnic groups (the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa peoples) since 2003 and it’s believed that over 400,000 people have been murdered. The Janjaweed (Sudanese Arab militia) has been responsible for raping, torturing, and murdering Indigenous Black Sudanese Darfuri girls and women…as well as enslaving them.
Also, Sudan’s government has been an ardent supporter of Vladimir Putin, the Russian Federation, and the invasion and genocide of ethnic Ukrainians in occupied Eastern Ukraine. Seeing Sudanese politicians, military personnel, and their common supporters waving Russian flags, letter “Z” symbols, and posters of Vladimir Putin’s disgusting face has infuriated me to no end.
All in all, I feel like Karma is finally making her presence known in the parts of the world that need to learn some very hard lessons right now. Hopefully, the good people will be spared from her wrath.
This is so distressing, yet not the least bit surprising knowing both its history and the international players vying for African resources (what else is new). Also helps explains why the particular news station I follow in the US (one of the better ones) has given unusually larger than usual coverage on Sudan.
Several years back I’d heard about a specialty travel outfit out the UK offering no-frills trips into the Sudanese desert, to visit, among other sites, their ancient pyramids, overshadowed by the famous Egyptian ones. I wish I’d decided to go then. In fact, given how much turmoil there is in the world, when it’s not loss due to ecological destruction and the wear of time, one could say the same about every place: that we should have seen it earlier.
Yes, Terri, you’re quite right. My own trip to Georgia was delayed by Covid, and now I don’t think it would be wise. A friend of mine went to see those incredible pyramids some years ago, probably on the same trip you were thinking about. I remember loving the photos, and being amazed by them. I guess we should never put things off if at all possible…..
Thanks Marjorie for looking at this complicated and worrying situation. The history of Sudan is also complicated. I started looking into it and got lost! However, I looked at one or two dates:
The military coup of 6th April, 1985 has Mars 15 Taurus, and Moon’s North Node at 18 Taurus, inconjunct Uranus 15 Sagittarius. Pluto 3 Scorpio.
The First Sudanese Civil War, 18 August, 1955 has a Leo stellium from 14 Leo (Jupiter) to 26 Leo (Pluto). It also has Saturn at 15 Scorpio, and Chiron at 1 Aquarius. Uranus is 29 Cancer, so having a Pluto opposition.
Further back, the Mahdist Revolt, which began as a movement against the Egyptian government in Sudan (1881-1899) has 12th August 1881 as a starting point. Sun 19 Leo and Mercury 1 Leo. There’s Saturn 12 Taurus, conjunct Neptune 16 Taurus. The Nodes at 15 Sagittarius connect with Uranus for the 1985 Military Coup. Britain entered this conflict a few years’ later.
The Uranus transit through Taurus is so significant here. Plus, the November 2022 Lunar Eclipse at 16 Taurus, and this coming May, 15 Scorpio look like triggers as well. Not to mention early Fixed degrees…..It may be relevant that Mercury turns retrograde on 21st April, at 15 Taurus – just after the Solar Eclipse 29 Aries squares Pluto, and the Sun’s ingress to Taurus on 20th April. Of course, that all has much wider implications in many of our world’s current trials and tribulations.
I don’t know why I feel so uneasy about this particular conflict, when there are so many others.
Jane, I know what you mean about it being one local squall amongst many. But it seems to have got the major analysts worried as well.
Marjorie – thanks, and for the Telegraph quote too. The whole “key to Africa” thing you mention is disturbing, also bearing in mind China’s involvement in Africa as a whole.
I visited the Sinai Peninsula once, and not having much grasp of geography, was amazed by the proximity of Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Egypt! Then there’s the whole Suez Canal issue, Red Sea, and so on. It’s one of those regions, like Afghanistan or the Balkans, with a long, tense history.