Alwaght- In recent weeks, Sudan’s military forces have arrived in Yemen’s port city of Aden to join the Saudi-led Arab coalition forces fighting against the Yemen’s Ansarullah movement and the militant forces loyal to the former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Given Iran and Saudi Arabia’s conflicts, this move indicated that Khartoum is distancing from Tehran. Sudan has earlier expelled Islamic Republic’s cultural attaché that negatively affected the two countries' relation, an act which was called as a tactical move by Sudan, but Khartoum’s decision to join the Arab coalition against Yemen indicated that the shift in Sudanese foreign policy is not tactical rather a serious development in the country’s approach toward the regional cases. Investigating reasons behind shifts in Sudan’s foreign policy, particularly its participation in aggression against Yemen, could help have a thorough understanding of the situation.
Factors stirring the changes in Sudan’s foreign policy include:
1. Sudan’s domestic crises; the country’s internal developments have had a determining role in Khartoum's drastic political shift. Sudan’s problems and crises have been deeply influential on transformation of its foreign policy in general and its decision to join the Saudi-led military alliance against Yemen in particular. In fact, the internal troubles have increased intensively the Sudanese government’s vulnerability in terms of economy, politics and security, and the Sudan’s leaders, with the intention of meeting some of their needs, have been forced to modify their approaches, hoping to receive financial and economic aids in order to solve some of their problems.
The main ground for vulnerability has appeared after the country’s portion into south and north sections, the result of which was losing %75 of the oil exports income which in turn led to financial crisis and public dissatisfaction. So, one of the motives for Sudan to change behaviour and follow Saudi Arabia's directs could be considered as its hope for receiving financial supports to curb the financial crisis and pacify the citizens’ discontent.
2. Saudi Arabia’s pressures; the pressures put on Khartoum by Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, have exacerbated the country’s already crippled economy. In March 2014, Riyadh cut off banking transactions with Sudan that decreased Khartoum banks’ profit to less than % 50. Some of the analysts have called the move a punishing action against Sudan to distance it from Iran.
3. Gaps in the government’s body; the polarizations and divisions in the structure of Sudan’s government are another internal factor pressing the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to review his open ties with Iran. Warm relations with Tehran were a big hurdle in the way of the Persian Gulf Arab countries’ investments in Sudan economy. As a proof for that, it can be pointed to the act of the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz who ordered expansion of the kingdom’s economic exchanges with Sudan after Khartoum shut down Iranian cultural centres. Actually, downgrading the diplomatic ties with Sudan and ignoring the country by the Arab counties as a result of its links to Iran have been the most significant obsessions of Sudan’s speaker of the parliament as well as the Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti. But, on the opposite side are the army and military administration which see Iran as a strategic ally regionally and globally and stand in favour of ties with Tehran.
4. Anti-Iranian Wahhabi activism; since a long time ago, the Sudan’s Salafis have been raising accusations against Iran’s activities in their country. In addition, the anti-Iranian non-Sudanese figures and movements have become sensitive about Tehran-Khartoum relations, trying to frighten the Sudan’s government over the Iranian religious activities in a country with the majority Sunni Muslim population. For example, Ahmed al-Mosalmani, the former media advisor of the current Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, has said that Sudan was moving in a dangerous track because its Muslims were Sunnis while the propagation of Shiite in the country could be divisive.
5. Concerns over losing Iran’s support; The changes in the Iranian foreign policy after coming of Iran’s new government headed by President Hassan Rouhani have also caused Sudan’s worry and its tendency toward Iran’s rivals. Following formation of the new government in Iran which has decided to adopt a policy of negotiation with the US and the European countries about the nuclear program, some countries like Sudan have developed some concerns, feeling that Iran would not support them anymore. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia was the only country that Sudan, because of its rivalry and enmity with Iran, could resort to. Welcoming the shift in Sudan’s attitude to relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia has offered aids to Sudan, boosting economic ties with Khartoum. In exchange, Riyadh has requested Sudan to take practical steps to show support to the kingdom’s regional policies.
6. Arabic bias; The Yemen’s case must be viewed through the Arab countries’ vision. Because Yemen is an Arab country, and the Arab states see the Yemeni conditions as threatening for them. Saudi Arabia, at the same time, does its best to persuade the other Arab countries that Yemen’s danger is serious.
7. Geographical position. Sudan’s military assistance in war against Yemen also comes as a result of its proximity to Yemen and Saudi Arabia as well. Regarding the fact that Khartoum and Riyadh share some commonalities in some part of the Arabian Sea and the Red sea, in terms of security and politics they also share same interests.
The mentioned reasons could be considered as the most significant factors influential in Sudan’s moving away from Iran to Saudi Arabia. Al-Bashir’s hope for the Saudi help to prevent International Criminal Court’s prosecution also could be added to other motives for review of ties with Iran.
These factors have sent the country’s authorities to decide on changing the foreign policy directions with the intention of receiving aids and removing the threats. The Sudan’s deploy of troops to Yemen could be interpreted as an attempt to draw the Saudi supports and ease the economic problems.
Therefore, the Sudan’s turning from Iran and taking part in operation Decisive Storm launched by Saudi Arabia against Yemen is a remarkable shift in the strategic ties between Tehran and Khartoum in the west Asia. The military unity and consistency is one of the highest levels of convergence, which is seen presently in Saudi-Sudanese relations. Sudan is well aware that proximity to Saudi Arabia would mean distancing from Iran, and Omar al-Bashir is deliberately attempting to get himself close to Riyadh as much as possible.
