SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: New York Times - Amid U.S Silence, Gulf Nations Back the Military in Sudan's Revolution

26/4/19: New York Times – Amid U.S Silence, Gulf Nations Back the Military in Sudan’s Revolution, by Declan Walsh

Declan Walsh argues that amid the US President Trump administration's lack of engagement in post-Bashir Sudan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have seized the initiative.

 Walsh notes that while the US State Department has expressed support for civilian rule, the White House is yet to do so, with Payton Knopf, an American diplomat in Sudan during the administration of President George W. Bush, saying that the US would have convened a high-level meeting of like-minded allies to chart a road map to democracy for Sudan, in a previous era. Nonetheless, Walsh notes Sudanese fears that Trump may back the military council.

 Walsh argues that Sudanese suspicions of Saudi Arabia have been "heightened" by the return of ex-Bashir aide Taha Osman Al Hussein, who protesters view as operating on behalf of Saudi Arabia.