- November 20, 2025
- 1:41 pm
- World News
Political Ukrainian analyst Yuriy Romanenko and Middle East expert Mohammad Farajallah raised a topic that seems to have fallen out of the global agenda: the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan. Their conversation is not just an analysis of African geopolitics. It is a warning about what happens to societies deprived of institutions and a culture of responsibility.
A country that should have been lucky, but wasn’t
Sudan is a paradox. A country with colossal natural wealth, third in the world in gold reserves, and yet plunged into poverty that is visible from the doorstep. Farajallah shares his impression after the trip: Khartoum looks like a place where opportunities exist, but no one uses them. “A million ownerless cows and restaurants without tiles. This is not tradition — this is poverty,” he emphasizes.
Sudan has everything that creates a powerful state: access to the Red Sea, trade routes, ancient history, 132 pyramids. But instead of flourishing — devastation. The only decent restaurants in the capital are opened by Syrian refugees who escaped their war.
70 years of military dictatorships
Since 1956, the country has been wandering in an identity crisis. “Who are we? Arabs? Africans? Christians? Muslims?” — this question has hung over Sudan for decades. Military coups have become a cyclical backdrop to life.
Each new leader brought not order, but repression. Attempts to raise ratings through religion ended with the introduction of Sharia law and a long civil war. As a result, South Sudan separated — another blow to the country.
How “Janjaweed” appeared
One of Omar al-Bashir’s most destructive decisions was the creation of the private army “Janjaweed” led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti). Initially — as a tool to suppress Darfur. The result — about 300 thousand dead and the emergence of a parallel army, which over time became more powerful than the state one. A complete analogue of the IRGC structure in Iran.
A revolution that ended in war
In 2019, the people rose up. Bashir was overthrown. Al-Burhan and Hemeti temporarily united, supposedly for the future of the country. But in a short time, the two centers of power turned into two fronts.
In 2023, the country plunged into a new war. Hemeti enlisted the support of the UAE and Russia, offering gold in exchange for weapons. Russia uses Sudanese gold to bypass sanctions and finance its operations.
Genocide that no one films
The situation is so dangerous that journalists avoid the region. Al-Fashir fell after the blockade, mass killings began. Thousands of civilians are executed, women are raped, cities are erased from the map.
Hemeti gave his people carte blanche. The longer the war lasts, the more obvious it becomes: this is a repeat of Rwanda, but already in the era of smartphones, when horrors happen live, and the world looks away.
Lessons of Sudan for Ukraine
Romanenko and Farajallah raise a question that sounds painful. What happens to society when social degradation pulls the ground from under its feet? The example of Algeria, where the French language is perceived as a “trophy,” shows how cultural identity can become an arena of struggle.
The story from Ternopil, where a displaced person from Mariupol was beaten for the Russian language, sounds in the discussion as an alarming signal. “Can Ukraine repeat Sudan’s path? This is already possible,” says Farajallah.
Sudan — a mirror that is scary to look into
This story is not about something happening far away on the continent. It is a reminder: resources do not save a country if institutions disappear, elites decay, and violence becomes the norm. Catastrophes always start quietly — and explode when it’s too late to fix anything.
That is why discussions about such crises are important — especially for countries that are now undergoing their trials. These conclusions are emphasized by journalists NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency, linking Sudan’s events with universal lessons about statehood, society, and what can happen if the collapse is not stopped in time.
