Sudan’s transition to democracy is being stifled by the military and security elites’ monopoly control of the country’s economy, according to Breaking the Bank, a new analysis from the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). The report’s database highlights 408 entities controlled by security elites, including agricultural conglomerates, banks, and medical import firms.
“Governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private companies have a role in dismantling Sudan’s deep state through economic sanctions, de-risked aid, and increased due diligence around private investments,” the authors state.
The international community has the tools to enact economic pressure and weaken this grip. But almost ten months after the October 2021 coup, strong rhetoric against deep-state actors has yet to be matched by action, they add, citing recommendations for the international community to counteract Sudan’s repressive security cartel and support real accountability. RTWT
