Sudan UN resolution vetoed by Russia as Khartoum takes financial aim at the RSF

It is fair to say that many Sudanese have totally lost confidence in their country’s government. Others, including some local politicians, would argue that there is no longer a viable or workable government in place. In particular, there are those who argue that the inability of the army to stop the increasing level of violence meted out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is proof that the army is either complicit in the violence or is extremely incompetent.

Moreover, many were disappointed about the inability for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to intervene. The hope was that putting UN peacekeepers on the ground would ease the 18-month conflict and the resultant starvation, displacement, war crimes and suffering. However, perhaps the majority of Sudanese view a military intervention as a dangerous step towards the further division of Sudan and loss of its sovereignty. Ultimately, their concern is to prevent regional and international powers from reshaping the region to their own designs rather than to meet the aspirations of a truly independent nation.

Sudan’s Finance Minister, Gibril Ibrahim, is driven by the desire to create an independent and financially viable country.

His detractors, though, criticise his policies for making a bad situation worse. Nonetheless, Ibrahim quite clearly has a vision to end this war and cutting off the finance going to the rebel RSF. His initial objection to re-opening the Adre crossing after the end of the initial three-month agreement was controversial. However, his position appears to have been taken because of the evidence that the RSF is using the crossing point for its arms supplies. This is indicated clearly in the UN documentation.

Although Ibrahim softened his position about the crossing, the decision to change the Sudanese currency to starve the militia’s access to hard currency was announced this month. There has been no confirmation of exactly when this will happen officially, but the decision to introduce a 1,000 Sudanese pound note and phase out the 500-pound notes has already been taken. Criticism of the decision was made mainly by some news outlets and supporters of the RSF. The Sudan Tribune said that the currency change “has raised concerns about financial instability in areas under the control of the Rapid Support Forces and fuelled accusations of a hidden political agenda.” It is, in effect, Khartoum taking financial aim at the militia.

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In a statement issued by the Central Bank of Sudan this week, it said that it has been decided “to issue a banknote of a thousand-pound denomination, based on the powers and competencies of the Central Bank of Sudan as stipulated in its law of 2002.” The bank has asked citizens to deposit old notes that will go out of circulation once a final decision is announced.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim is aware of the expected rush to invest in Sudan once the war is over. Chinese companies are ready to return to Sudan “at a moment’s notice”, according to a Chinese official, once security and stability are restored. Multibillion-dollar Chinese oil and gas projects have been stalled or destroyed since the fighting began in April last year. Chinese-built and funded operations have been grounded, with more than 1,300 Chinese citizens evacuated. Zheng Xiang, the Chargé D’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Sudan, told the state-owned Sudan News Agency recently that Chinese companies were keen to resume operations to help in the country’s reconstruction, while discussions with lenders were being held to resolve its debt problems. This comes on the back of a meeting between Sudan’s leader, Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing in September.

The level of suffering in Sudan has undoubtedly reached new heights with the violence witnessed in Al-Jazira. However, those who supported Russia’s decision to veto the draft UN Security Council resolution prepared by the UK and Sierra Leone, are of the view that the full implementation of the agreed Jeddah Declaration should be prioritised and implemented to end the conflict.

“One country stood in the way of the council speaking with one voice; one country is the blocker,” said UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy after the veto. “One country is the enemy of peace. This Russian veto is a disgrace, and it shows to the world, yet again, Russia’s true colours.”

While many Sudanese would agree with Lammy’s comment, others would not. The prevailing view is that Lammy was using this as a stick to beat Russia over the war in Ukraine more than the draft resolution arising out of any genuine concern by the UK about the plight of the Sudanese people. Moreover, many Sudanese support the view that the Jeddah Agreement, which was signed by both sides on 20 May 2023, should be the basis of any agreement and, like Russia, they are perplexed about the unwillingness to push forward and endorse a deal that has already been signed and agreed.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.