New cards, old game: Why Qatar changed its policy in Sudan

Eslam Mohamed

Qatar’s change of position on Sudan has been a matter of great controversy, as after the Sudanese youth revolution that started in December 2018 succeeded in April 2019, diplomatic relations between Doha and Khartoum witnessed their worst conditions ever, as the Sudanese people consider the Qatari regime as biased and loyal to the regime of ousted President Omar al-Bashir.

After the Sudanese revolution succeeded in overthrowing Bashir and his clique, relations with Doha were severed, especially after the removal of General Awad ibn Auf, who is affiliated with the Brotherhood in Sudan. Matters reached the point where the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a decision in early June 2019 summoning its ambassador to Qatar, Fatah al-Rahman Ali Mohammed.

During the transitional period from April to August 2019, there were fears in Sudanese political circles of foreign interference, and its leaders decided to distance themselves from the Turkish-Qatari axis for a while.

After Abdalla Hamdok was sworn in as Sudan’s prime minister on August 21, 2019, Doha decided to open a new page of relations with the new authority. Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a congratulatory message to the head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

But the Emir’s message was not enough for Doha, as the prime minister and minister of interior also sent congratulations to Hamdok on the occasion of his swearing in ceremony.

The new Qatari position came after the stability of the political situation and the consensus between the political parties. Here, the rulers of Doha recognized the status quo and decided to deal with the new situation. But pragmatically, Qatar seeks to manage the game with its modern cards and political developments.