SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Washington Post - How Washington and the world can help Sudan fulfill its democratic dream,
Andrew Natsios, ex-US envoy to Sudan, calls for the Trump administration to dispatch a “senior diplomatic troubleshooter with credibility in [Saudi Arabia] and [the UAE],” to convince them to end their support for Himedti.
Natsios cites common US-Gulf interests in a stable Sudan that does not re-align with Iran, arguing that Himedti’s continued power may provoke a domestic Sudanese backlash, resulting in a “fertile environment for an Islamist [coup].”
Natsios adds that the US can convene an international coalition including its European allies, the African Union and Gulf states in pursuit of a shared blue-print for a civilian-led transition and coordinated economic aid.
Natsios cites Sudanese political culture assets such as the maintenance of a vibrant civil society, democratic history and “highly educated and sophisticated elite,” to conclude that “Sudan is not Egypt, Libya or Syria,” thereby offering a source of hope where Arab Spring disappointments have led to pessimism.