Behind Sudan’s civil war: Israel’s shadow strategy in Africa

Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023, when Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), once allies, turned their forces against one another.

The two had seized power together in a 2021 coup, but their alliance collapsed over plans to transfer authority to civilians and to integrate Hemedti’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the national army.

When fighting erupted, Israel maintained contact with both sides. The Israeli Foreign Ministry leaned toward al-Burhan and the Sudanese Armed Forces, while the Mossad pursued ties with the RSF. Meanwhile, Israel’s Arab allies reportedly supported various factions in the conflict.

Covert Israeli involvement in Sudan

Israel’s covert role in Sudan has raised alarm across Africa and West Asia. Through secret intelligence channels and direct communication with the RSF, Tel Aviv appears to be quietly shaping the trajectory of the war.

Krébso Diallo, a pan-African researcher based in Cairo and an expert in African political affairs, told Quds News Network that Israel’s relations with Sudanese actors “do more to inflame violence than to balance power,” shielding perpetrators from accountability and turning Sudan into a battleground for regional and global powers.

Growing reports of intelligence links between Israel and the RSF suggest a tangible impact on the conflict’s course, particularly in Darfur and the besieged city of al-Fashir. Although the full scope of these connections remains difficult to verify, regional and Western intelligence sources point to indirect communication channels providing logistical and security support.

If accurate, such cooperation would have enhanced the RSF’s operational capacity, enabling coordinated offensives, prolonged sieges, and tighter control over key battlegrounds. This may explain the RSF’s ability to dominate parts of Darfur and commit severe human rights violations — including mass killings, forced displacement, and systematic attacks on civilians.

Beyond its military implications, this relationship has fostered a sense of impunity among RSF commanders. Ties with foreign intelligence networks and private actors provide political cover and reduce pressure for accountability. Foreign backing prolongs the war, undermines mediation efforts, and transforms Sudan’s internal struggle into a stage for regional and proxy competition.

Israel’s geopolitical interests in Sudan

Israel’s interference in Sudan extends beyond short-term tactical goals. Sudan’s strategic position along the Red Sea — a vital artery of global trade and energy routes — makes it central to Israel’s efforts to consolidate its foothold in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel region.

By cultivating relations with Sudanese power brokers, Israel seeks to secure maritime routes, monitor regional rivals, and expand its intelligence presence across Africa. This engagement aligns with Israel’s broader Africa strategy: rebuilding regional alliances that historically supported the Palestinian cause.

Israel’s simultaneous outreach to both Burhan and Hemedti — the two generals leading Sudan’s war — has weakened international accountability. These contacts provide political and diplomatic cover that blunts the impact of sanctions and delays investigations into war crimes.

By framing Sudan’s crisis as an issue of “regional stability” and “counterterrorism,” Israel and its Western allies divert attention from humanitarian and legal imperatives — effectively normalizing ongoing atrocities. This dynamic reshapes the international response, prioritizing strategic balance over justice for victims and granting warring parties greater freedom under the guise of legitimacy.

Western complicity and strategic calculations

Diallo also pointed to the economic and intelligence interests of Western powers that have indirectly empowered Sudan’s RSF. Many of these governments, he said, view Sudan not as a humanitarian disaster but as a geostrategic prize — rich in gold and rare minerals and located along a key maritime corridor.

Some Western networks have tolerated or even profited from Sudan’s illicit gold trade, which flows through intelligence-monitored routes. This quiet complicity reveals how profit and power often override ethical considerations.

Israel’s intervention in Sudan is thus part of a multilayered strategy blending intelligence operations, geopolitical positioning, and regional influence. Rather than serving as a secondary factor, these connections have intensified the violence, obstructed diplomacy, and weakened accountability mechanisms.