Fault Lines Episode 552: Sudan, Regional Rivals, and U.S. Interests

Today, Les, Jamil, Morgan, and Matt turn to Sudan, where a brutal civil war has entered its third year and now stands as one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes. As fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces continues to displace millions and drive staggering civilian casualties, regional powers are deepening their involvement. With Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, and others backing opposing sides, the conflict is increasingly shaped by proxy warfare and emerging military technologies.What does this escalating proxy fight mean for U.S. interests? As Washington pulls back traditional aid tools and shifts its foreign policy posture toward trade and economic leverage, does the U.S. still have influence in a conflict this severe? How should policymakers think about Sudan’s strategic geography, especially as China and Russia look for openings to expand their footprint? And in a war where outside actors fuel the violence but Sudanese leaders bear responsibility, what role, if any, should the United States play?Check out these sources that shaped our Fellows’ discussion: https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/general/sudan-humanitarian-situation-is-worst-crisis-of-2025/ar-AA1SIQ00?ocid=BingNewsVerphttps://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/sudans-war-torn-capital-sees-commercial-flight-land-129749973 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/world/africa/egypt-sudan-drones.html @morganlroach@jamil_n_jaffer@NotTVJessJones@WMattHaydenLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/V-2AvosoABM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.