By: Yasir Zaidan
The ongoing war in Sudan is not merely a struggle against a colonial project targeting the country alone; rather, it represents a confrontation with an international agenda seeking to reshape Africa’s geopolitical landscape. At the heart of this transformation lies the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which aspires to control the region’s resources and dictate the future of the African continent, particularly its southern territories.
With the gradual retreat of traditional Western powers, such as the United States and France, from direct engagement in Africa, the UAE has emerged as an heir to Western influence—albeit without the constraints of international law or human rights commitments that once partially regulated Western hegemony.
Unlike past imperial actors, the UAE operates as a hybrid power, deeply embedded within international institutions while simultaneously leveraging unchecked financial resources to manipulate global markets and political systems.
This dual strategy—gaining influence through formal diplomatic channels while exercising extralegal economic and military interventions—poses a long-term threat not only to Sudan, but to the entire continent. African nations now face a powerful external actor capable of advancing its interests without the accountability mechanisms traditionally imposed on global powers.
The Need for a Regional Counterbalance
Given the UAE’s unchecked expansionism and its destabilizing influence across Africa and the Middle East, there is an urgent need for a coordinated regional response. A new alliance must be formed to counterbalance and resist Emirati ambitions, bringing together nations directly harmed by its interventions—including Yemen, Libya, Syria, Djibouti, and Somalia. These countries have experienced firsthand the destructive consequences of UAE interference, from fueling internal conflicts to exploiting economic vulnerabilities.
Moreover, countries that perceive Emirati intervention as threatening their geopolitical influence—such as China, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Oman—must also be engaged in this coalition. A broad-based regional alliance could serve as a strategic counterweight to UAE-backed initiatives, fostering collective security and economic self-determination for affected nations. The goal should be to contain Emirati expansionism and create a sustainable framework for regional stability, preventing future foreign interventions that exploit internal divisions.
Strategic Approaches to Deter Emirati Influence
To effectively challenge the UAE’s regional hegemony, the proposed alliance must develop multi-faceted strategies, drawing on insights from international relations theory. Scholars such as Stephen Walt and Kenneth Waltz have extensively examined the concept of balance of power, which suggests that states must form alliances to counteract dominant actors that threaten regional stability. In this case, a coalition of African and Middle Eastern states could serve as a collective deterrent, mitigating UAE-backed destabilization efforts.
Furthermore, Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye’s theory of complex interdependence highlights the necessity of engaging with economic and institutional mechanisms to challenge the UAE’s dominance. This includes leveraging international legal frameworks to hold Emirati entities accountable for economic exploitation and political manipulation and foster alternative trade and investment partnerships to reduce dependency on UAE-controlled economic networks.
From a neo-colonialist perspective, scholars like Kwame Nkrumah have long argued that economic domination by foreign actors represents a modern form of imperialism. The UAE’s investments in African ports, infrastructure, and military bases exemplify this dynamic, positioning the Gulf state as a new imperial power exerting indirect control over African sovereignty. By framing Emirati influence within this historical context, African nations can mobilize international support for anti-colonial resistance, drawing parallels between past and present struggles for self-determination.
Turning Sudan’s Crisis into an Opportunity
Sudan, as one of the primary battlegrounds of Emirati intervention, must take a leadership role in mobilizing regional resistance. Rather than viewing the current conflict solely as a national crisis, Sudanese policymakers and intellectuals should frame it as a pivotal moment for redefining Africa’s geopolitical landscape. The country’s historical role as a strategic bridge between the Arab world and sub-Saharan Africa makes it uniquely positioned to spearhead an anti-imperialist movement, rallying neighbouring nations against foreign exploitation.
By institutionalizing a regional resistance strategy, Sudan and its allies can establish a precedent for protecting African sovereignty against future neo-colonial endeavours. This would not only deter further UAE encroachment but also signal to other global powers that Africa will no longer serve as a battleground for external economic and political interests.
Conclusion
The UAE’s modern colonial project represents a significant challenge to African self-determination, exploiting economic, political, and military vulnerabilities to expand its influence unchecked. However, this challenge also presents an opportunity: the formation of a regional alliance dedicated to resisting Emirati expansionism and reinforcing African sovereignty. By drawing on international relations theories and historical anti-colonial movements, African nations can develop a coherent strategy to counterbalance external intervention. The time has come to transform Sudan’s struggle into a broader movement for regional self-determination, ensuring that Africa’s future is shaped by its own people rather than foreign powers.
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