Ethiopia

Sudan

United States

Egypt

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Politics

Science & Technology

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilem said Ethiopia should pay Egypt compensation due to its management of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, claiming that the dam had reduced Egypt's use of Nile waters from its allocated 55 billion cubic meters to 38 billion cubic meters, Addis Standard reported on Jan. 20. 

Egypt, Ethiopia: Cairo Demands Compensation Over GERD Following Trump Mediation Proposal

Saudi Arabia

Sudan's military-led government has officially returned to the capital, Khartoum, after nearly three years of operating from its wartime base in Port Sudan, BBC reported on Jan. 11. 

Sudan: Army Announces Return to Capital as Government Headquarters

South Sudan

Eritrea

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, and allied groups seized the strategic Al-Taqatu' junction and neighboring localities between the towns of Kadugli and Dilling in the central South Kordofan state from the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, the Sudan Tribune reported on Dec. 30.

Sudan: RSF Makes Further Gains in Kordofan as SAF Reinforces Positions in Blue Nile State

United Arab Emirates

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, warned neighboring countries not to support the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, stressing that Sudan had the right to "defend [its] borders" and would be able to "reach [those who aid the RSF] anywhere," Sudan Tribune reported on Dec. 28.

Sudan: Al-Burhan Warns Against Backing RSF Amid Mounting Speculation of Ethiopian Involvement

Following a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Egyptian presidential office issued a statement on Dec. 18 that outlined a series of "red lines" regarding Sudan's civil war, namely the preservation of Sudan's territorial integrity, the rejection of parallel government entities and the preservation of state institutions.

Egypt: Cairo Outlines 'Red Lines' in Sudan, Secures SAF Support on Nile Tensions

Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, backed by the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, affirmed SAF Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's "keenness" to work with U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve Sudan's civil war between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, Al Arabiya reported on Dec. 16.

Sudan: SAF Stresses Readiness To Work With Trump To End Civil War

Russia

A source within the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, claimed Sudan's SAF-backed government had frozen plans for Russia to establish a naval base at Port Sudan, Sudan Tribune reported on Dec. 6. 

Sudan: SAF Official Claims Plans for Russian Naval Base Are Frozen

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, seized the town of Babanusa in the central West Kordofan state from the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, following a two-year siege, Sudan War Monitor reported on Dec. 1. 

Sudan: RSF Captures Babanusa Town in West Kordofan Despite Unilateral Truce 

Assessments

Sub-Saharan Africa

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mali

Mozambique

Niger

Nigeria

Togo

Structures destroyed in U.S. strikes on jihadist targets in Offa, Nigeria, are seen on Dec. 27, 2025.

New U.S. military action would most likely target jihadist groups, especially in West Africa, but limited strikes in Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo to force belligerents there to de-escalate also cannot be ruled out.

The Outlook for New U.S. Strikes in Africa

Somalia

Israel

Syria

Turkey

Yemen

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Economics

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

Saudi-backed forces are seen on the outskirts of Yemen's Hadramawt province, where the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) recently launched an offensive, on Jan. 3, 2026. 

Social Issues

The Gulf nations' growing battle for influence is straining bilateral ties and fueling proxy conflicts in places like Yemen and Sudan, though both sides will likely avoid any escalation that could harm their economies.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE Pursue Divergent Paths in a Multipolar World

Snapshots

Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognizing Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on Dec. 26, 2025. 

Israel establishing military facilities in Somaliland would invite Houthi attacks against the territory and raise the likelihood of renewed disruptions to Red Sea shipping.


Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Raises the Stakes Along the Red Sea Corridor 

Sudanese Armed Forces soldiers are seen on the now-disabled Shambat Bridge in Khartoum. 

While the likelihood of a humanitarian truce between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary RSF is rising, meaningful progress beyond a tentative permanent ceasefire currently appears unlikely.

Sudan Slips Toward De Facto Partition

Columns

On Geopolitics

Chad

Uganda

Shipping containers are offloaded from a vessel at Berbera Port in Somaliland on Aug. 31, 2021.   (ED RAM/AFP via Getty Images)

The UAE is expanding its influence across East Africa through large-scale investments and security partnerships, aiming to consolidate its status as a global trade hub and counter regional competitors, at the risk of entangling regional states in broader geopolitical contests.

The UAE's Long Game in East Africa

A photo of Khartoum, Sudan, with columns of smoke rising in the background.

The SAF's military victory in Khartoum marks a turning point in the country's civil war, but a firm resolution remains out of reach as the RSF fights to consolidate control in the west.

What Next for Sudan After the Army Retakes Khartoum?

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (right) waves as he arrives in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 9, 2024, for the launch of new peace talks with rebel groups.

Energy

Rising political tensions risk collapsing the peace deal that ended the country's last civil war, while escalating clashes in the north risk drawing in involvement from Sudan's warring parties.

South Sudan Hurtles Toward Another Civil War

Sudanese army soldiers patrol an area in Khartoum on Nov. 3, 2024.

The warring sides' deep distrust and their external backers' competing interests portend a protracted conflict that may expand into South Sudan and Chad, and heighten jihadist activity.

The Security Implications of Sudan's Ongoing Civil War

Middle East and North Africa

Algeria

Bahrain

Iran

Iraq

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

The Geopolitics of Water

Population growth, security vacuums, bad governance and climate change will increasingly strain the desert region's already scarce water supplies, raising the risk of social unrest, interstate conflict and violence from non-state actors.

The Geopolitics of Water: In the Middle East, Water Will Increasingly Become a Weapon and Driver of Conflict

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Cote d'Ivoire

Kenya

Libya

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Burkina Faso's junta leader Capt. Ibrahim Traore during a welcoming ceremony at the second Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on July 27, 2023.

Competition against the West will fuel Russia's outreach to Africa, but jihadist expansion in the Sahel will eventually force Moscow into tough policy decisions.

What the Future Holds for Russia in Africa

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa attends a signing ceremony following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, on May 23, 2024. 

Bahrain-Iran normalization would reduce risks for Manama amid rising regional tensions, but security and some political vulnerabilities remain.

Normalization With Iran Would Reduce -- but Not Eliminate -- Security Risks for Bahrain

Sudan is a huge country between Northern and Central Africa which, prior to the independence of South Sudan, was the continent's largest country. Its position has long drawn the attention of outsiders, and once facilitated the birth of powerful empires and city-states.     Since declaring independence from the United Kingdom in 1955, Sudan has struggled to manage its expansive territories and ethno-regional divisions. Khartoum, the country's capital, can be viewed as a relatively isolated city-state that must command the vast spaces and people that surround it. Such a mentality helps explain Khartoum's disastrous management of the country's various rebellions and insurrections. Until recently, the country's leadership has preferred to adopt a belligerent approach to dealing with the country's many outstanding conflicts.     Because Sudan's borders do not fully align with its various ethnic groups, its internal ethnic conflicts have fueled regional conflict as well. Ethnic groups in the Darfur region of eastern Sudan spill over into neighboring Chad, driving the two countries to wage proxy warfare against each other for years by arming and financing rebels intent on revolution.     Sudan's proximity to the Middle East &mdash; as well as its cultural and religious makeup &mdash; has allowed it to build ties with powers there. Though this has benefitted Sudan by allowing it to attract investment from companies such as Saudi Arabia, it has also engendered greater scrutiny.

SITUATION REPORTS

Egypt, Ethiopia: Cairo Demands Compensation Over GERD Following Trump Mediation Proposal

Sudan: Army Announces Return to Capital as Government Headquarters

Sudan: RSF Makes Further Gains in Kordofan as SAF Reinforces Positions in Blue Nile State

Sudan: Al-Burhan Warns Against Backing RSF Amid Mounting Speculation of Ethiopian Involvement

Egypt: Cairo Outlines 'Red Lines' in Sudan, Secures SAF Support on Nile Tensions

Sudan: SAF Stresses Readiness To Work With Trump To End Civil War

Sudan: SAF Official Claims Plans for Russian Naval Base Are Frozen

Sudan: RSF Captures Babanusa Town in West Kordofan Despite Unilateral Truce

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support