An article in the French newspaper Le Monde sees that there was no expected military coup like the coup that the army carried out in Sudan last Monday, and the army chief, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, put it at the head of the country he was already ruling, but in sharing A coercion of power with institutions linked to a transitional timetable, which is likely to displace the proof in favor of a civilian leader.

According to an article by the journalist specializing in Africa, Jean-Philippe Remy, this seizure of power by the army - in the context of the complex Sudanese situation - perpetuates Egypt's influence with the generals, and provides them with an opportunity to disavow the United States, which is so far committed to the file of democratic transition.

In this game, which has now begun in this part of the world - as the writer sees - falls the ambition of the United States to confront China, and Russia's ambition to expand its area of ​​influence, as well as the goals of the Gulf states, Turkey and other less visible actors on the scene, from which the growing chaos provides opportunities favorable.

This development comes at a time when Ethiopia is engaged in a civil war, and Somalia is on the verge of collapse, while Sudan is seen as a pole of stability in the process of formation, and a place for marketing the virtues of democracy, to the extent that it has gained unprecedented importance on international radars, but another stage - As the writer says - it begins now against the background of the struggle for influence, which is often at the expense of the aspirations of the peoples.


Normalization of relations with Israel

Since a peaceful popular movement succeeded in overthrowing former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, Sudan has been ruled by transitional authorities, embodied in a Sovereign Council that includes both civilians and military personnel, whose mission is to lead the nation until the elections, and leaves the running of current affairs to a government that is said to be a technocrat.

Thanks to this formula of government - as the writer says - Sudan regained its place on the international stage after decades of isolation, and obtained a promise of financial assistance from Washington after removing its name from the US list of countries funding terrorism, after it signed the so-called “Abraham” agreements in January The second 2021 rapprochement with Israel, in a move that Al-Burhan took when he announced the “normalization” of relations with the Hebrew state from Kampala, Uganda in 2020.

The writer says that Al-Burhan - who is now alone in the country's leadership - reiterated his support for normalization, in what appears to be an indirect message to the United States, but the whole trend has changed by cutting off the democratic transition, and arresting almost all members of the government, including Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, who was taken to his home in a sham shooting, with evidence that he is still unable to move.


Victory for the will of Egypt

The writer says that with the power now concentrated in the hands of the proof alone, the matter does not seem to culminate in him, but is a threat to the internal explosion, because Monday's coup - in the words of one of the regional observers - "is only the semi-final, and we now have to wait for the outcome of the final." ".

This means an expected confrontation between the ambitions of the generals allied with Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), against the background of differing approaches, especially regarding Ethiopia.

The writer believes that this coup represents - from the first sight - a victory for the will of Egypt, to which Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan went to inform President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of his plans, or to take his orders before overthrowing the transitional authorities, because Egypt, with the support of the Gulf countries, wants - according to many observers - an end to The civil adventure of transition with the army seizing power, risking confronting the United States, which announced the suspension of "disbursement of $700 million", without noticeable impact on the course of events until further notice.

The tense situation with Ethiopia

For the United States, as the writer says - Sudan is an important part of the strategy to restore control in the pivotal Horn of Africa region, which is now closely linked to the Gulf states, in order to defeat several types of influence, starting with the influence of China, and Washington initially chose Ethiopia as a fulcrum, but Everything there was derailed by the involvement of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in a civil war.

However, Egypt, worried about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its impact on the Nile waters, is determined to do everything in its power to prevent Addis Ababa from controlling the waters of the river, not by waging war on it, but by destabilizing it by supporting the Tigray Defense Forces rebels or their allies in the Oromo Liberation Army. , The two movements are at war with the central authority, according to the author.


These two movements go to Sudan in the hope of obtaining great help there, although the civilian component in Sudan is so far opposed to this support, and General Hemedti - who is close to some Ethiopian officials - opposes it with the support of the Emirates, a position - as the writer says - completely contrary For the position of the Sudanese army and the evidence.

The writer concludes that during the weekend immediately preceding the coup, the American special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, came to Khartoum asking to follow the transitional period, as the American intelligence services had been closely following the preparations for the coup for months, but on the next day civilian authority was overthrown, which is What was understood as an American failure, as Russia seemed happy "to find an exceptional opportunity to come that spoils American plans," and said it welcomed the coup because it was "the logical result of a failed policy," which made Sudan the scene of "widespread foreign interference."