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Sudan, leading to Israeli air raids on weapons convoys in 2009. Khartoum

was annoyed with this new development but refrained from condemning

either Eritrea or Iran for the shipments.

Conclusion

There is no clear, general pattern in Sudan’s relationship with its neigh-

bours, beyond a persistent inclination to meddle in each other’s politics

through hosting or actively supporting political exiles and rebels. For

Khartoum, such meddling has been encouraged by one overriding concern:

the north–south confrontation, now made worse by the existence of the

oil reserves. Regime survival, interference in the next country’s internal

problems, commercial ties (or the lack thereof), diplomatic niceties and

direct armed intervention have all been all determined by the north–south

struggle. Now, with the Darfur conflict, the north–south confrontation

has been incorporated into a wider centre–periphery contradiction,

which represents the core problem of the Sudanese polity. Sudanese

foreign policy has therefore been mostly conflictual because of its own

domestic contradictions, not because of historical, in-built problems

with its neighbours. As a result, it can be hoped that an eventual solution

to Sudan’s internal conflicts could translate into an easing of tensions

with the surrounding region. To a certain degree this has already been

the case with Ethiopia, Chad and Eritrea. But the 2011 self-determination

referendum still casts a long shadow over diplomacy throughout the

region.

Recommended Reading
Beshir, Mohamed Omer (ed.). Sudan: Aid and External Relations. Khartoum:
University of Khartoum, 1984.
Prunier, Gérard. ‘Rebel movements and proxy warfare: Uganda, Sudan and
the Congo (1986–1999)’, African Affairs. 103, 412 (2004): 359–383.
Prunier, Gérard. ‘Chad, the CAR and Darfur: dynamics of a conflict’, Open
Democracy, April 17, 2007, http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-africa_
democracy/chad_conflict_4538.jsp.
The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors

(www.riftvalley.net).