Since the outbreak of civil war in Sudan in April 2023, there have been rising concerns about the physical
security of oil infrastructure and the sector’s overall operational capacity. Control of the country’s oil infrastructure has been split among different armed groups. The national military, Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), has retained control of the export terminal in the Red Sea port of Port Sudan. At the same time, a rival armed group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), seized—and now maintain—command of Sudan’s primary refinery in Khartoum and at least one pumping station.

'Why do individuals join a violent extremist group? What are the drivers behind this decision? And how do we prevent it? These questions have long occupied the academic and policy spaces, and continue to do so given that violent extremism is still one of the top national and international security threats....'

Continue reading this SANA blog post on MEDIUM.

Tong Akeen Ngor, the governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, South Sudan, has consolidated his grip on power by buying support, detaining members of the opposition, and ingratiating himself with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir. Tong Akeen, however, lacks popularity. The state has traditionally been an SPLM stronghold, and he is seen as an NCP interloper from the north.

Situation Update: Balkh Province, Afghanistan

Located in the north-east of Afghanistan and sharing borders with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Balkh province hosts ethnically diverse populations, and power in the province has historically rested with non-Pashtun communities, particularly Tajiks and Uzbeks.

Situation Update: Port Sudan, Sudan

Although no official directive was made to relocate the capital to Port Sudan at the outbreak of war in April 2023, some government departments, diplomatic agencies, and international organizations have since set up shop in the eastern capital. This movement, however, seemingly ignores the fact that the city of Port Sudan does not possess the service competence, civil structure, or geopolitical stability to embrace a new capital for the fragile Sudanese state.