Sudan is a country that is open from all directions, giving it a strategic location and importance for international and regional powers.
It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southeast, Eritrea to the east, and the Red Sea to the northeast.
Therefore, whoever controls Sudan, which occupies a central position in Africa, has a significant opportunity to control the entire African continent and have the ability to influence everything related to the stability of Africa.
Aside from Sudan’s strategic importance, there are also its natural resources, which include natural gas, gold, silver, chromium, zinc, and iron, as well as vast agricultural lands, earning it the title of “the world’s food basket.”
These natural resources undoubtedly arouse the appetite of regional and international powers, leading them to view the current crisis in Sudan as a valuable opportunity to gain a foothold and manage it according to their political interests and control Sudan’s natural resources.
However, the Saudi political moves toward the Sudanese crisis, starting from the evacuation of foreign nationals in Sudan, providing humanitarian aid, and the “Jeddah Declaration” which realigned the compass of the Sudanese conflict, have succeeded in reshuffling all regional and international cards, effectively, blocking external interventions and consequently bringing the Sudanese crisis back to the Arab sphere of influence.
These actions managed to keep Sudan from falling into the international chaos that engulfed Syria and prolonged its crisis.
If we look at the dilemma experienced in some Arab countries, with Syria being a prime example, we find that the main reason for prolonging the crisis was the management of the international system, which lacked a clear political vision that could lead to a resolution.
Instead, it contributed to deepening the state of chaos. Therefore, the step taken by Saudi Arabia in its management of the Sudanese situation has succeeded in keeping the Sudanese crisis within the framework of an Arab solution and Arab administration.
This will undoubtedly have a positive impact on regulating the internal crisis, as Sudanese parties find themselves obliged to fulfil their commitments and obligations as outlined in the “Jeddah Declaration.”
The “Jeddah Declaration” has been a more advanced model in managing Arab crises, primarily due to the recognition of the importance of time, which directly or indirectly plays a decisive role in the success or failure of political solutions.
Therefore, the Saudi step to accelerate the engagement of Sudanese parties in negotiations and reach a consensus-based political declaration will surely be a crucial factor in containing the crisis and paving the way for creating a new reality that brings the country back to the table of political dialogue.
