As troops loyal to two Sudanese strongmen battled for control of the country for a fourth day, diplomats were working to prevent any risk of regional powers being dragged into the conflict.
“One of the worst things that can happen is that this becomes a regional conflict where countries in the neighbourhood intervene on behalf of either of the parties,” said Endre Stiansen, Norway’s ambassador to Sudan, whose Khartoum residence was hit by a missile on Sunday.
As the international airport close to the embassy came under a heavy bombardment — which Stiansen called a “barrage like nothing I’ve ever heard” — the diplomat said there was a risk of regional powers taking sides. “You can have a divided country if this is not handled properly,” he warned.
Egypt is a long-term backer of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s armed forces and de facto leader, against Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, according to Kholood Khair, director of the Confluence Advisory think-tank in Khartoum.
“Egypt is unequivocal. They’re team Burhan over team Hemeti,” she said, using Dagalo’s widely used nickname, adding that Cairo considered him a rogue actor.