The two guests of the episode of "Beyond the News" agreed that what CNN revealed about Ukrainian special forces targeting the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan - backed by Russian Wagner forces - with drone attacks may indicate the possibility of expanding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, as well as the Sudanese conflict.
Dr. Hosni Abedi, a professor of international relations at the University of Geneva, said that if reports of Ukraine being behind the attacks in Sudan are true, it means that Moscow may take advantage of what happened by expanding the war in Ukraine deeper and in a region close to the conflict, while at the same time ruling out its action in the near term.
Besides, the conflict in Sudan could expand from its limited scope to the entry of other parties, according to Abedi, who said that the "turn of the marches" could push the rapid support led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemedti" to recruit other countries against Washington's interest in the ongoing conflict.
Michael Mulroy, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, said that the Ukrainian drones do not lead to the departure of Wagner forces from Sudan, noting that the real concern lies in the possibility of Russia entering another country such as Moldova and Poland after achieving success in Ukraine.
He stated that what Ukrainian special forces have done in Sudan, if proven, indicates self-confidence by taking the conflict out of the country and in places where Russia has influence and influence, but at the same time stressed that Kiev has no ability to confront all these areas and expand the conflict.
Why Sudan?
On the significance of the choice of Sudan, Abedi listed reasons for this, including Ukraine's ability to strike Wagner forces, which have contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, and it is also a message to Moscow that Kiev is capable of exporting the war and damaging the Russian war effort.
The other equally important point, according to the academic, is that Sudan is an important financial source for the Wagner forces, which are located in the rapid support areas controlling the gold mines, thus weakening their ability to produce and finance.
He promised what happened a "convergence of interests" between Ukraine and the West in light of the US-Western discomfort with the Russian military influence represented by Wagner forces in Africa, but this does not change the course of the war or the balance of power inside Sudan, according to his opinion.
For his part, the US spokesman stressed that there is interest from Washington to contain Wagner forces at least in some places, attributing this to the fact that it is a tactical force that exploits the natural resources of countries for its own interests, and saw that however, the American desire will not be fulfilled with the departure of Wagner from Africa.
While stressing that the CNN investigation cannot be confirmed for sure, he saw the Ukrainian drone strikes as targeting rapid support to prevent Russia from exploiting Sudan's natural resources.
He revealed that a lot of Russian money and weapons go to Africa, but noted that he does not know if the Americans support any Ukrainian move within the continent, and pointed out that Washington prefers that Ukrainian forces focus their efforts to support the counterattack.
Returning to Abedi, he stressed that it is difficult to believe Washington's lack of knowledge of the Ukrainian strikes in Sudan, and pointed out that Ukraine's failure to claim responsibility for the strikes is due to its embarrassment in justifying Western financial and military support provided to it and using it in foreign military operations and not to defend its territory.