About a week ago, the United States said that the rival military parties in Sudan lacked any legitimate or constitutional mandate to govern the country amid the continuing bloody battles. Washington explained that the absence of a serious vision for ending the conflict reflected the military leaders’ disregard for the future of the Sudanese state, which is suffering the consequences of armed confrontations.

The decision dealt a blow to Port Sudan’s authorities, at a time when al-Burhan was preparing to participate in the United Nations General Assembly. Washington, however, decided not to grant him a visa because of his crimes during the war.

Al-Burhan rejected the truce proposal put forward by the United States, insisting that the war would not be decided militarily, despite the apparent impossibility of such an outcome, according to developments on the ground.

Since mid-April 2023, Sudan has been witnessing a war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has killed nearly 200,000 people, according to estimates, while the United Nations says that more than 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes, and over 30 million others are suffering.

As for developments on the ground, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman affirmed his country’s support for efforts to achieve stability in Sudan and preserve its unity and sovereignty. He made the remarks during a phone call he received from Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Tuesday, 29 September 2026.

During the call, the Crown Prince declared the Kingdom’s “keenness on Sudan’s stability and on preserving its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity,” affirming “the Kingdom’s support for all efforts to achieve stability” in Sudan, “paving the way for comprehensive development” and “the return of displaced persons and refugees to their homes.”

Political Messages

The call comes at a sensitive time, coinciding with Sudan’s international isolation and mounting calls for an independent investigation into the Sudanese army’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

It also comes as Washington has stripped al-Burhan of legitimacy. This means the call carries implications beyond a routine exchange, as it constitutes official recognition by Saudi Arabia of the legitimacy of the army, which came to power unlawfully through a military coup in October 2021.

It also amounts to support for violations committed against civilians, including killings, displacement and executions, and further complicates a conflict that is relentlessly approaching its fourth year of destruction and bloodshed.

Since the conflict began, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key player seeking to shape a negotiating framework bringing the warring parties together, through moves it says are intended to protect its strategic interests in the Red Sea.

It has politically and diplomatically sided with the Sudanese army, creating a state of negative balance that prevents both a military resolution and a settlement, and has contributed to fuelling the bloody war and complicating the conflict.

According to observers, Riyadh’s preference for dealing with military and security elites at the expense of civilian forces sent a clear message that future balances of power in Sudan would be determined by the logic of force, rather than popular legitimacy.

Support for military and security actors without requiring accountability for violations also sent a message that impunity was acceptable as long as it served regional stability. This reality undermined victims’ confidence in the possibility of achieving justice and made national reconciliation more difficult.

According to observers, rather than contributing to the creation of new balances that could open the way to a political settlement, regional moves helped entrench a state of violent stalemate for which the Sudanese people are paying the price.

Financial Support

Saudi Arabia’s actions during this war have involved using economic and diplomatic support to promote stability and secure its interests in the Red Sea. However, available information indicates that Saudi support for al-Burhan goes beyond development considerations and forms part of a broader geopolitical strategy.

Reuters revealed that Saudi Arabia had mediated a $1.5 billion Pakistani arms deal for the Sudanese army, before Riyadh requested that the deal be cancelled and informed Islamabad that it would not finance it.

A week ago, the Sudanese army obtained armoured vehicles and various types of reconnaissance and attack drones through separate deals, including Shahpar drones, as part of efforts to strengthen its air capabilities.

The Pakistani Shahpar drone belongs to the family of tactical unmanned aerial vehicles and combat drones. It was developed by Pakistan’s National Defence Solutions in cooperation with the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM).

Pakistani media reported that the deals were conducted through Saudi Arabia, suggesting that the Kingdom may be financing them.

Egypt Rebuilds al-Burhan’s Legitimacy

Recently, Cairo has been accused of showing clear bias towards the Sudanese army under the leadership of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. These accusations have been based on the close relations between the Egyptian and Sudanese armies.

According to observers, this bias has contributed to complicating the Sudanese situation, reinforcing the warring parties’ belief that a military victory remains possible. This has reduced the prospects for an early political settlement and deepened divisions within Sudan’s political landscape, as some forces have begun to view regional initiatives with suspicion.

Last November, Reuters reported the deployment of a prominent model of Turkish combat drones at an airstrip on Egypt’s southwestern border. Satellite images from Vantor, a US company specialising in space technology, showed a large drone on the runway of an airport in East Oweinat on 29 September, 28 December and 9 January.

In the same context, The New York Times published images of Akıncı drones at East Oweinat Airport, which it said were being used to launch strikes in Sudan.

Turkey… Al-Burhan’s Arms Depot

Turkish drones have been associated with decisive shifts in the balance of power in wars. Meanwhile, observers say Turkey is exploiting a civil war to expand its influence over the Red Sea. Sudanese media have also reported meetings between Sudanese army officers and some Turkish military leaders concerning the drones.

In March 2025, The Washington Post revealed documents, communications, commercial records and flight data that it said documented the arrival of Turkish-made weapons and drones for the Sudanese army.

The Sudanese Defence Industries System signed a contract worth around $120 million with Turkish company Baykar to supply drones and munitions. The shipments arrived in Sudan in 2024, accompanied by Turkish technicians to help operate the equipment.

In a recent report, French newspaper Le Monde said Turkey had been the army’s main military backer since the beginning of the war, noting that it had supplied it with TB2 and Akıncı drones and deployed trainers alongside it. Saudi Arabia, according to the newspaper, is financing the purchase of Turkish drones and Pakistani weapons for the army.

Following a meeting between Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in June 2026, the Turkish presidency announced that defence had become one of the areas of cooperation between the two countries.