Find out Who’s Behind the Bloody Conflict in Sudan!

Hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends. It's so good to be with you as always, coming live to you from the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, Rabat. So, That's what I'm still at for the time being. So anyway, so excited to be here. Uh, what we're gonna be chatting about today is this Sudan topic. Uh, I know last time I remember I mentioned to you guys that I have to really research a few things to check on to make sure, and I verified a few things over this past weekend and confirmed a few things, and that's why I decided to come on the air. But before I'll do anything, we're gonna follow the routine as always. I like to extend my sincere thanks to the channel's members and supporters and you, the subscriber. As always, I truly appreciate it. And if it is your first time here, please make sure to subscribe to this channel and sort of click that notification button so you'll be notified every time I either launch into a live stream or release a video. But I have to wait till I get back to, back to the States anyway. So Please let me know if you can hear me because I want to make sure, because I'm in a new location and I want to make sure that the sound, it's working here properly. So I'll be just looking for a thumbs up from any of you that suggests that the sound is working correctly. And I know there is a delay in how the information transferred. It's a slow internet, but it's okay, it's working super. All right, thank you so much, General Meow Meow, for the sound works good. Great, I am excited about that too. So it's working. So like I said, today's topic is about why Sudan conflict matters. Yeah, some of us might think it's a regional conflict. Well, yeah, it is, but it might have also global ramifications. So, and again, you always go with the, the two or three main questions. Why does it matter? The timing of it. Okay, and here is the key question that I want you to think about, and if you feel like answering, just leave the answer on the, on the, uh, on the chat box, and I will, I will read it. Basically, is Africa the new Cold War front in your opinion? So, so if you, you think, is Africa is the new Cold War front? So Let's, uh, let's do some— like I always do— our tour around the world, because I got some, some good information for you that you might want to— all right, let me share this picture here with you. This is the Prime Minister Kishida, who, who's visiting currently South Korea. We all know what just happened with South Korea, of course, agreeing to the deal with the US that they're going to be talking about allowing a nuclear submarine American, that is, in South Korea. But also, if you recall, two months ago, and I did a video on it, when both South Korea and Japan, uh, were visited by none other than the, uh, uh, Secretary of NATO. And the reason why? To pull them into NATO's orbit. Of course, the most important thing is just Japanese Prime Minister Kishida survived an assassination attempt during a campaign speech which was about, what, a month ago or so. It was in the city of Wakayama City. That's what it was. Uh, so it's almost like similar fate to what happened to Shinzo Abe. And I do believe someone, somebody might succeed in taking out his life. So I don't know, that's— let's just see, whatever. So my second one has to do with none other than this country here. Pakistan. Why is Pakistan important to understand? Because Pakistan rallies now in support of this Supreme Court decision to hold elections in Punjab. Why is Punjab important? Because that's the almost the home, uh, home ground for, for the Prime Minister Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Got a lot of support there, but it just shows you the tensions that exist. So Imran Khan himself, uh, uh, said in a speech— I, I read what he stated— that the government, yeah, the Pakistani government that is, is seeking to take deliberate steps to destroy the Constitution and the Supreme Court, and that elections are the only solutions to get the country out of crisis. So here's a question for you guys, you know, do you think Imran Khan will be reelected and back to the premiership. And the third one I'm going to share with you has to do not with geopolitics. Yeah, this image. So take a look at it, guys, and just think. Take a step back and think. This image is an inevitable fate from which there is no escape. You know, what will the future of our galaxy— you know, that's because like the Milky Way and all that, you know. So what will the future be like when it is swallowed by another galaxy? Yeah, because we are, we are tiny. The, the Milky Way is nothing in comparison to what's out there. So, so nothing remains the same, and the universe is constantly changing.. And the strongest form of this change is undoubtedly the process of none other than fusion of galaxies. So, so I wanted to share this with you guys because you just need to understand there's something far bigger out there than just our ego and our might. You know, here I am this, I am that, and all that is nonsense when we think how small we are in the big scheme of the universe, that is. So, so just something, food for thoughts, that is. All right, let me move to the health segment. And here it is, here's an image for you. So, health segment: water, not soda. Water, perhaps, is the most prevalent nature of water. That means drinking enough each day is not at the top of everybody around the world. Believe it or not, it's not a priority to too many. So, but I'm here to share with you just some few benefits of why drinking, uh, drinking water is very, very, very crucial. And please pay attention to what I'm going to be sharing with you here. So to function properly, all the cells and organs of the body need water. So here are some reasons I'm going to share with you. So for example, it lubricates the joint Yeah, water does that. Cartilage, which is found in our joint and, and the discs of the spine, contains about 80% of water. So the reason why long-term dehydration can reduce the joint shock absorbing ability, leading to joint pain. Second, it forms saliva and mucus. Saliva helps us digest our food and keeps the mouth, nose, and eyes moist, which is very crucial. Uh, it delivers oxygen throughout the body. So blood is more— in the body is more than 90% water, okay? And blood carries oxygen to different parts of the body. You can just see why it's important. Drinking water also boosts your, your skin health. And for, for ladies, you know, they stay— their skin stay hydrated and all that. So that is why it's very, very important. And with dehydration, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorder and premature wrinkling. So, and the last one I'm gonna share, because it's a long stuff, the last one is it cautions the— it cautions the brain spine cord and other sensitive issues. This is why it's very, very, very important for you to drink water. Okay, so let's move on to our topic here, which is Sudan. Why is this craziness going on in Sudan? As a matter of fact, tensions now are rising. Yeah, I'm, I'm following it now closely. Since I'm here in Africa, you know, it's still all the way south, southeast part of where I am. So, so the main reason for the fighting currently taking place, believe it or not, some do not even know why. There is no specific one, but of course it's power. That is why. That's one. But the ones that is taking place in the country between the army and the Rapid Support Force known as RSF, you know. And here is the reason why the, the, the conflict now is expanding on the periphery of the country. It's also highlight to you the weakness of the leadership structure or the central government in Sudan. So, and this is why is legitimate question to ask, what's behind this fighting? So So those clashes that, uh, uh, let me see something here. Those clashes that erupted in mid-April, they've been now in the fourth week almost, you know, you know. And this is about power struggle, you know, between the two main factions of the military, the army and the, the, the, uh, uh, what do we call them, the Rapid Support Force, RSF. No, no. So the Sudanese Armed Forces are broadly loyal to General Abdel Fattah Burhan. Let me get you the picture, his picture, so you know which one is which. So Burhan is this guy right here. This is the head of the army, okay? And he is the country's de facto ruler as of now, because it's a military— try— remember, in Sudan, they were trying to turn power over to the civilians and civilian government. That is, it never works in Sudan, and I'm going to tell you why, because I'm going to provide you a historical snapshot. So to put things in perspective, so what the paramilitaries, on the other hand, are, uh, the— it's called the Rapid Support Force, which is nothing but a collection Yeah, it's collection of militias over time. Uh, those fall under warlord, uh, with the ranking of a general. His name is General Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hamidati. This guy right here, that's the one. So this power struggle has its roots in years before 2019. That goes even before that. And what happened back then, it was the uprising to oust none other than dictatorial Omar al-Bashir. Let me, let me see, I think I have a picture. Yes, I'm gonna share with you. Okay, it's right here, Omar al-Bashir. And I'm gonna talk about the context of this picture here, but this is Omar al-Bashir. Now, Omar al-Bashir, uh, who built up You know, believe it or not, he built up some sort of formidable security forces that for a reason. And what was the reason for that? Is to sort of deliberately, uh, was set up against one another, especially when it comes down to Darfur. That is what happened there. So, but again, you have to understand the historical aspects of Sudan. So I'm gonna take you back to 1956, which was basically the year where, or when rather, Sudan got its independence in 1956. So the Sudan, or the history of Sudan that is, has been always plagued with, by internal conflicts, you know, such as the first Sudanese civil war was between 1955 and 1972. That's the first one. Second one was Second Civil War, that is, was between 1983 and 2005. So the war in Darfur, of course, was between 2003 and 2010, all this culminating into, into the, uh, succession of the South Sudan on July 9th, 19— I'm sorry, 2011. That's why Sudan split up. You got South Sudan and you got Sudan. Basically, if you take the whole Sudan, it's the size of France, you know, not anymore. So, so, and this is why by the time South Sudan took independence in July 2011, this sort of paved the way for another civil war between 2013 and till 2020. Yeah, so what does it mean? It means that the country since its independence has always been marred into civil wars. This is no different. Now the other aspect that you need to know also, that will be very important for you to put this within the context, is geography. There is something in political science field called the political geography. Because like geopolitics, geopolitics is not influenced or impacted only by political events. Geopolitics is also impacted by geography because geography play a major role. So I'm gonna share this with you so you see, uh, why it's important. So Sudan is located in the northeast part of Africa, okay? It is bordered by Egypt to the north the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia, which they have problem in Tigray, and I will tell you why is that important for you to know, uh, to the east, and South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, and Libya to the northwest. So this is why basically Sudan is the third, by the way, third largest country in Africa after Algeria and the DRC, known as the Democratic Republic of Congo. So it has been— Sudan, that is— it has been the largest country on the continent, like I said earlier, until 2011 when the independence of Sudan was declared. That is why importance— geography plays a major role here. And I will tell you one specific information, what makes Sudan very crucial in this aspect. So the second question you're gonna need to ask yourself is, okay, what if the military sort of, uh, if there was some sort of tensions to get rid of Omar al-Bashir back then, so, and the military succeeded in that, so, and united together, because believe it or not, those two factions that are fighting right now They were working together. As a matter of fact, they were together because, because they worked in, in coordination. That's how they were able to get rid of Omar al-Bashir. Now they are fighting. That begs the question, how this happened? Is somebody fueling the tensions? Is somebody creating the problems? Those are the logical questions you need to ask yourself. So the question we need to ask ourselves is, how did the military rivalry between these two developed? Well, I'm gonna share with you why. The RSF, the Rapid Security Force, you know, was founded again by Omar al-Bashir. And again, the reason it was founded, the whole objective was to crush a rebellion in Darfur. And this rebellion in Darfur started about, uh, if I'm not mistaken, 15 to 20 years. And all due to two main reasons: political and economic marginalization of the local people by the Sudanese central government. So this is how, for example, the RSF, the Rapid Security Force, was also known by the name of— I don't know if any of you know, if anybody can tell me if they remember one name it was known during that time in Darfur. Janjaweed, Janjaweed, that was very common name at that time. And I remember it because around that era, I think I went to Africa, I went to Ivory Coast 2 years before that, and I was aware of the Janjaweed at that time, which became— and here is the thing— Janjaweed became associated with sort of atrocities at the time. This is why Omar Bashir was charged by the ICC for war crimes. So in 2013, Bashir transformed the Janjaweed, this, this militia, this tribe, whatever, into semi-organized paramilitary force and gave their leaders— because they didn't have just one— leaders military ranks before deploying them to crush the rebellion in South Darfur. And then they were dispatched to fight in two other locations, in Yemen and in Libya. So, so, so the RSF, the Rapid Security Force, which is led by this guy here, Hamidati, this guy, this general here— both of those, by the way, are same rank. Except this one is in the military, this one is in militias, if you will, but both of them are holding the ranks of, of, of military. So what happened is that the RSF, which is led by General Hamdati, and the regular military at that time, like I said, they worked together, cooperated to oust Bashir in 2019. This is what's very interesting. So, and again, that begs the question, why right now all of a sudden they're fighting each other? So, uh, so as geopolitical analyst, you know, I'm gonna have to think in terms of, well, I know it's an internal matter, internal dynamics and so forth, but again, what's at stake regionally and globally, because they had to be. You can never ever, especially when it comes down to Africa, never ever assume that any conflict inside Africa is limited only to Africa. There are always entities with some stakes at the conflict or the outcome and so forth, and you will know why, why that is. So Sudan, of course, like I showed you in the map, is a volatile region. Very strategic, bordering the Red Sea, which means what? You have access to the water. Red Sea goes all the way down to the Arabian Sea. Arabian Sea goes to the Indian Ocean, and Indian Ocean has like more than one-fourth of the world's ships cross through those waters. So the Horn of Africa is very, very crucial. So it is a strategic location. You know, and also has arable lands agriculturally. So, and this is why it has attracted regional powers. There was competition over who— not dominating Sudan, but at least who can have some little bit influence here and there. And this is why it was very complicated to transfer the country into civilian government. Because many of Sudan's neighbors like Ethiopia, Chad, and South Sudan have been affected by the political upheavals and the conflicts taking place inside Sudan. That is why it's, it's very, very crucial. And of course, it created tensions with those countries, and rightly so, because of refugees. So far in the conflict in Sudan, you have about 800,000 people fled. Yeah, different directions, of course. 200,000, based on the research that I looked into, went to the next door, and the next door is Eritrea and Ethiopia. Yeah, that is why. And Chad, some of them cross into Chad also. So Because here's the thing, there is some sort of, or there are rather, major geopolitical dimensions that are also at play. And you may, you may think to yourself, well, with whom? It's going to be with Russia, it's going to be with the US, it's going to be with Saudi Arabia, it's going to be with United Arab Emirates, China, and other powers. Why? Because they are battling for influence in in Sudan, you know. So that is why it's very important for you to understand that this is not limited just to the world, to the, to Sudan, but, and the region, but rather the rest of the world. So now what we are witnessing, let me see if I can get an image for you. Yeah, right here. Now what we are witnessing is that the intensity of the fighting has now sort of ratcheted up. Why is this? It's because the army has access to air power. So that is the reason why— somebody calling— so that is the reason why The Rapid, uh, Rapid Support Force doesn't have air power, but it has missiles. So you can just see it's going to create— this is why the violence has escalated. And anytime there's violence escalating, there's always stake for some other entities or players outside. It's exactly what we are seeing in Ukraine. So this is why the violence again increased in Khartoum and in other parts of the country quickly, really quickly escalated. So it's, it's, uh, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people are now being killed and many, many have left. So, so for us, it behooves us to understand the combat could quickly, you know, slide into— get this word, this is the right wording for it— into sustained war that basically will risk, if I am to guess and think, it's rippling through the country's periphery and neighbors. That is where the big concern is. It won't be just limited to Sudan, it's going to move into Eritrea, Chad, Mali, Ethiopia, and so forth. And that's why it is my belief, and again, this is my opinion, that the hostilities that's taking place right now in Sudan could push the country towards a full civil war, which will not be, will not be good because it will, it will sort of drag on for years. You all remember that short history I shared with you. How many civil wars already went through since independence in 1956? 3. This could be the 4th. So that's the way I see it. So the challenge right now is that this conflict is spreading in every corner of the country, and that's very, very problematic because now you're gonna have hospitals being bombed, if I may use the term, or targeted. You're gonna have people can have access to medication, uh, clean water, food, supplies, uh, energy, you name it, you know, agriculture, you know, you just can't. And this is where it's very, very problematic. Later along, Sudan, if you remember, let me show you here, uh, Sudan is closer to Chad and the Republic, uh, the what do we call it, the Central African Republic. So that means the conflicts can spill over into those countries. It's a possibility for it. So, so, and South Sudan and Ethiopia and others, it's going to become a very, very, very problem for everybody. So, so here's the thing, every clash, one thing I want you keep in mind, especially in Africa, You don't see it much in Latin America. You don't see it much in Asia. You know, I, I, I, I kind of read enough, but I still need to learn more. Don't get me wrong, guys. I don't know. I don't know. I'm still learning, you know. But so far what I've noticed is that like clashes in, in, in, in Asia are very, very minimal in comparison to Africa. And what I want you to get is this, is that every clash in Africa is potential proxy war. Why? Because proxy war will mean is in a multipolar setting. That means major powers from behind the scenes are pushing forward to protect their own interest. That is the explanation I will give you now about this conflict in Sudan. So the extent to which the conflict is a proxy war between and among not just factions inside Sudan, but major powers, you know. So to many, and, and especially, you know, I'm sure some analysts, you know, a true meaning of analyst, not some schmuck that's calling him or herself an analyst out of the blue, some real analysts, that they're gonna agree and think that the designation of the conflict as proxy war will help communicate its potential dangers to a global audience. That's how I see it. And for what? It's because there are interests at stake. That is why. So that's why the conflict— any conflict, not just Sudan, any conflict in Africa only get the necessary coverage when external interests are at stake. And one of them, you're going to be seeing it in Sudan. That's why— and the way you know it is that the, the escalation of tensions is going up. Did we ever think they're going to be using the air power? The army went ahead for it. The escalation tells you the, uh, external powers' interests. So here's the thing, this leads me to sort of go back to my original question at the beginning about the Cold War. Is Africa the new Cold War? Is Sudan reflecting the new Cold War? Well, the Cold War is already in Africa to begin with. The interesting part about the 21st century, unlike the 20th century, the Cold War in the 21st century is not going to be limited only between two major powers like what we had in the 20th century between the Soviet Union and the United States, because there is now a brewing Cold War in Asia as we speak. Africa. You're seeing it right now. So it just— it will be in a different form, unlike what we had back, uh, uh, in, in, in the 20th century. So another important aspect you need to consider is why. Well, why is because Africa is abundant in natural resources. Africa is very wealthy. Unfortunately, the corruption that is tearing that continent apart is no different than other places anyway. So because we have it in our country, but the resources that Africa has— Africa has another advantage: manpower. If Africa gets its act together, you won't believe where it might become. And this is why the major powers back then and today still struggling to let go. They won't. What you see in Sudan is a reflection of that interest. So that is one of the most important aspects, and, and here is why. It's because the distribution of these resources across the continent meant what? It meant that external interests are prevalent. As a result, when there is a, uh, local— or when there are local agents involved and groups, yeah, of this external interest, because they will be funded by outside, supported by outside, okay. The interest, and with the clashes internally, those who are supporting the conflict will automatically be drawn into it. This is where my big concern as to what I see laying ahead. That's why I hope they can work out some— work out some deal, whatever, stop the fighting. Because, and I'll tell you as I move along, because you got 3 main countries involved Russia, China, and the United States, and I'll tell you how later on. So now, speaking of China, you have to think about it this way, guys. China just sold— and I did confirm this one here— China just sold armed drones to DRC, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Okay, you know, there's nothing wrong with it. We sell weapons to other countries. So China sells its weapons, Turkey sells its weapon, Russia, France, Germany, you name it. So what's different about this is that near DRC is none other than Rwanda. If you know the history, because Rwanda is an adversary of the DRC. So, but Rwanda itself has acquired armed drones from none other than Turkey. So there's nothing, uh, you know. So in a war of drones, you can just see now both China and Turkey are finding themselves, uh, sort of competing about the market for that. It's, it's, it's a proxy war in Central Africa, so what do you expect? You know, if there is a buyer, if you have a product, you have a product and you find the buyer for it, what you're gonna do? You're gonna sell it unless you don't want to. So, so when you think about it, the use of some sort of state-backed mercenaries, which is another dimension in African conflicts, you know, is, is, has sort of contributed to sort of push the conflicts to another level, more complications. That's, that's what I meant by, by having, uh, some sort of state-backed mercenaries. Yes, there's the conversation that what they are, the Russian Wagner in Africa. Yeah, they've been there. I was aware of it. I was aware of the Wagners being in Mali because I remember somebody wants to do a project in Mali and asked me about this, and I I don't think so, it will work for you, uh, because I didn't get into the details because he didn't hire me at that time to do consulting for the guy. So I wasn't gonna just share the information just like this willy-nilly. So, but at that time I knew, so there were some— so, so, and here is the way I see it, not just in Sudan but the whole Africa for that matter. So if Africa wants to avoid any political turmoils moving forward The leaders of those countries, doesn't matter where, north, south, east, west, whatever, you know, they must really understand, first of all, have a grasp about and define, of course, what the system really is going to be, what kind of system they want to have, how they're gonna pursue that. And this is what I always say, uh, strategy is very important. They can't just be reacting to events. They have to have a strategy for that. They have also, like I said earlier, Africa has two main factors that work to its benefit: natural resources and manpower. So those African leaders will have to think in terms of how to prioritize the socioeconomic setting and the well-being of, of Africans, or people for that matter. This is like one of the things that I'm noticing here in, in the Kingdom of Morocco, is when I go out and I see, you know, well, I see like a massive— a lot of people, you know, Morocco is growing big. I, I, I, I don't see a lot of elderly people. I I see younger generations, give or take, between the age of 15, 14, till about 28, 30. A lot. And with that comes a responsibility with it that the government here in, in the Kingdom of Morocco will have to ensure that there is a strategy for how to move the country forward the next 15, 20, 25 years. Because that generation, you know, soon they're going to enter the professional world, they have to have resources and so forth. Otherwise, that's how chaos ensues. So it's no different than how it is in Africa. And the third part that I want to talk to you about here— let me take a look first because I have to look at my notes to make sure I cover the key aspects that I need you to understand to put the context of the conflict in Sudan within its proper frame. So let me say thank you to, uh, uh, CJ. CJ, thank you so much, showing my support. Thank you for taking the time to inform us. You are most welcome, CJ. I truly appreciate your support. And I always remember, guys, you know, I'm here to learn from you as well. You know, just because you have a PhD doesn't mean No, no, no, it doesn't end there. I am still learning from you, and thank you all for your comments. Thank you all for sharing your perspective. Thank you all for— this is why I read your comments, because I learn from them. And I am so— and I'll say it— I am so proud and happy about our community, because the level, guys, is up here, and that's how it ought to be. It's because you become the reflection of how we want to see the world, you know, in your neighborhood, in your community, in your country, in your region, whatever part of the world you are in. This is how we spread the word about— yeah, we need to learn more about what's going on around the world to have a better understanding. Having a better understanding will help you make the right decisions. That's why I am so proud and happy and content about our community here. So, and I can't thank you enough for your support. So, so thank you so much, CJ. I appreciate it. Let me see if, uh, I miss someone else because I don't want to do that because I always have to show gratitude because it's very, very, very important. All right, let me move on here. I didn't see any. So, uh, the next question we need to ask, guys, is if we are to think about Africa, because it's always been colonized by major powers, and you know, with the last being France at that time. I remember, uh, that's why Mali kicked France out. France is not well received or accepted You know, don't get me wrong, the Germans did the same, the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Spaniards, the Americans, uh, they all— there are now these arguments about what China is putting. I have to disagree with that. You know, yes, China is involved in infrastructure investments and so forth, but Africans are getting something back for it. China didn't force them for that. You call a spade a spade. You know, when we Americans travel as officials, you know, that airport we landing on is built by some Chinese company. You know, that's— you gotta call a spade a spade. So, but the French, for example, the history of French is very, very dark. You know, the Germans, the Dutch, and maybe one day I'll talk about all that. But for now, we need to ask the question, what are the concerns of the world powers? Let's start with Russia. Russia— and I remember I talked about this about 2 years ago because I was aware of it, because that was almost during the time when I released my Russia book, The Dynamics of Russia's Geopolitics: Remaking of the Global Order. Because I did the research and I did find at that time that Russia entered into communication with the Sudanese government to establish a naval base. Remember, geography, access to the Red Sea. So this is why Russia has sought support for its navy at that time, and it did— believe it or not, it did secure a deal with the, with the, with the Sudanese government at that time, which was under Omar al-Bashir at that time. So now the military is saying that it is under review. So that begs the question, at that time— so because in 2020, I recall, the Russian president Vladimir Putin approved at that time the creation appropriation of the Russian naval facility, because it has to be signed on in a decree. That's like what we do. And that one, what was interesting about it is that this naval— Russian naval facility in Sudan would have been capable— get this, guys— capable of mooring and nuclear-powered surface vessels. Geography: access to Red Sea, access to the Arabian Sea, access to the Indian Ocean. Sudan has also oil and energy, big country, access to Central Africa, gold, uranium. Lithium. All this should give you an idea as to why is that important. So, so what happened in 2022? Western diplomats, those who represented their, of their countries in Khartoum— Khartoum is the capital of Sudan— so they argued at that time that Russia's Wagner forces, a group that is is very involved in, uh, in gold mining in Sudan at that time. So you can just see why there will be certain, uh, attentions for, for, for what was going on. Second one, second country that is I can think of is China. Why China's legacy? China's legacy in Sudan It's very— I will use the term, if you get a chance to go to Sudan, you will quickly notice. What would you notice? You will notice infrastructure. That infrastructure was built by Chinese immediately. Go downtown Khartoum and you will see. So, so, and when you think about the, the, the, the Blue and White Nile River because that is another, another point of contention between so many countries, because the Nile River goes through, you know, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, and so forth. They depend on it a lot for agriculture. And that is why China— China built infrastructure inside Sudan. China built highways and upgraded certain infrastructure. But also this relationship, and I'm gonna share a picture with you here, guys. Oh, let me see it. Say thank you to— oh, I want to say thank you to Pendam. Pandemonium, thank you so much for your support. Always enjoying your streams, Dr. Oualaalou. You are most welcome. I truly appreciate your kind support. And once again, to all of you, we are all here as a community, guys. You know, I want you always to remember that it's never about one person. If you can keep this in, in the back of your head It's never about me, you, just one. It's about us. Always thinking in these terms, guys. It's very, very important. So, so thank you so much for your support, your continued support, that is. So here is the— what you need to understand is that the historical context of the relationship between Sudan— this is why I have this picture here— President Zine El Abidine and, and, and, and the, the then President Omar Bashir back then. So why is the background of it? Because China established relations with Sudan back in 1956. Sudan gets independence in 1950— I'm sorry, China established relations in 1959. Sudan got independence in 1956. And how it's all begun— it began as an oil-based relationship that has adopted into an important trade one. This is why China's infrastructure in Sudan is visible. So that is why you have to understand, uh, they are about, uh, based on my research, I found out about over 100 companies, Chinese companies that is, are operating in Sudan. Yeah, over 100 companies. So, and they are about, uh, and by the way, I found this according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, there are about 1,500 Chinese living in, uh, in Sudan. That's part of, uh, I'm sorry, not this one here. This one was by the Agence France-Presse, not the statement from the state, the Chinese Foreign Ministry. That was a separate one. So, so that is why it's important for you to understand. And that's the second country, China. The third one, the third one is the US. US forward slash West was happy, believe it or not. They were happy to get rid of Omar al-Bashir. Who was of course, as I said, charged with genocide and war crimes by the ICC. But Washington kind of dropped the ball. This is why now they are catching up, you know, once this— once they saw that China's infrastructure in Sudan is expanding, they are rushing quickly into it. So, so that is where that difference that exists in that country and why, you need to understand what is really the, the long-term impact of this conflict. Because this is nothing new in that country, but the geopolitical landscape has changed now, and that's going to have serious, serious ramifications. So Uh, if you will be kind and type where you are joining me from, I will truly appreciate it. And I'm gonna go all the way back up, then, then I will, uh, just brief— provide you a brief, brief conclusion here and, and answer 1 or 2 or 3 questions and close it up. So here's the thing, just as a conclusion here. You have to put the context of the conflict in Sudan within the, not only the regional or Africa for that matter, but the global. And what do I mean by that? Because you have to think in terms of other dimensions within the global arena. And again, I am not referring just to the political aspect, I'm referring to the financial, for example, you know, the energy aspect, Why? Because Africa is rich in natural resources. Africa has gold, Africa has uranium, Africa has lithium, Africa has some sort of, uh, uh, silver. They have a lot, they have a lot to offer the world, for that matter. And when you think within the global context, especially with BRICS, ASEAN, RCEP, you know, you, you're gonna have to think in terms of how this is gonna sort of relate to each other within the global context. And this is why, once again, and I'm gonna say it again, the new multipolar system, it's not gonna be derived by ideology but rather by economic blocks. Africa is already— and I bet you this, guys— if Africa gets its act together I'm sure they can't get rid of corruption like in any other country, you know, it's like us, we can't get rid of corruption. But at least if they can clean up this, put more infrastructure in Africa, improve the livelihood of the people, raise the level from poverty, have clean water, build the roads. Because they have the resources, natural resources, that is. What they need is the financial aspect, and that can be worked out. Africa will go far, very, very, very far. This is what I see, and I hope one day the leaders can do it. So, all right, let me see where you are joining me from here, and, and I'm gonna go all the way to the top and just to read up if I see the country or whatever you're joining me from, and I will answer, uh, one or two of your questions, guys. All right, let's see, let's see, let's see. Hi Ronnie, Ronnie Chu. Hi Dr. O. Hi Ronnie. So, uh, let me go, go, go. Hi Jack, Jack Robert. As always, thank you so much for your support. Uh, okay, let me see. Uh, oh, uh, San, San Tan from Vancouver, Canada, good to have you. Truly appreciate you being here. Abdul Malcolm, good to have you. By the way, Abdul Malcolm always leaves interesting comments. Very, very thank you so much for this because I learned from them. I truly appreciate it. Uh, then the, uh, then, uh, Kang Day from Romania. I've been in Bucharest, in a very, very laid-back place. Good to have you here. Uh, uh, Boycott Smartphone from Minnesota, US. Good to have you as always, of course. Pendulum Mania, Philadelphia, Philly. No, uh, Uh, Tirlag Irwin from Cork City, from Ireland. Good to have you, truly appreciate you being here. Like I always say, guys, your time is very important to me, so I would never want to waste your time. CJ from LA, good to have you, CJ, appreciate it. Uh, your time is important, so I would never waste your time. That's my promise to you. So Uh, let me see who else joining us from some other parts of the world. Okay, that's about it here. So let me see if there's any question, guys. I'll be happy to answer question for you, and if not, then I'll close this up, and I look forward to seeing you next time. All right, let me run one more time quickly here, see if there's any question, and And otherwise, I'm gonna sign off. And again, I am open to your suggestions, guys, as far as topics. Again, it took me— because I had to— I can't just rush, and you guys know this. Sometimes certain topics will be delayed a little bit, but be it, because I'd rather give you the right information to the best of my knowledge because I don't want just rushing to— because that's how I, that's how I've been always doing it. So, and I appreciate you for that. So, uh, by the way, there was a comment from somebody, uh, said that I— hey, Dr. O, you don't upload any videos anymore. Yeah, I don't from here. I, I— because the, the, uh, the internet is so slow, so I can upload the video for editing. So it's just, it's a nightmare. So I'd rather just do— remember, they don't have 5G here in, in the Kingdom of Morocco. It's not, it's not widely used, uh, I mean, if I may use the terms. All right guys, well, I don't have any questions here. I'm gonna sign off. I hope you find this very informative. And as always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time guys, bye-bye.