taz Comment on Friends of Sudan Donor Conference

Published by taz on June 25th 2020

International aid? Unfortunately, yes.
Sudan needs support after the fall of the dictator. But the Sudanese are tired of conditional aid.

On Thursday, Berlin will host a donor conference for the group "Friends of Sudan". The "Friends" are an association of governments, including Germany, which want to distinguish themselves as "partners" of the Sudanese transitional government after last year's non-violent revolution. Financial support from outside is crucial for the success of the transition.

However, we have our doubts about the kind of assistance that this conference envisages and the actors behind it. Friends of Sudan include countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Emirates, which have worked tirelessly to undermine the revolution.
Germany is not innocent either. During the revolution, the German government behaved ambivalently. Only when the Al-Bashir regime collapsed in April 2019 did it change gear. This is because it was involved in the Al-Bashir regime in an essential way: it served as an important ally of the policy of immigration control and the "externalisation of borders". This cooperation took place within the framework of the "Khartoum process", whose main aim is to make it as difficult as possible for migrants to transit through Sudan to Libya and the Mediterranean region.
Does Sudan need help? Unfortunately, yes, because of structural inequality caused by colonialism, trade agreements and the West's support for dictatorial regimes. Aid is a necessary evil, but the Sudanese people are tired of conditional aid.
Any aid provided while the Federal Government deports Sudanese and other refugees in insecure conditions is not aid, but a deception. The Sudanese women demanded freedom, peace, justice and the power to determine their own future. Only this can lead to stability that is lasting.