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Regional and International Engagement in the Sudanese Conflict: Limits and Potential for Activation

Spotlight on Sudan No. 10

The Sudanese war has entered its third year. Leaving behind escalating humanitarian consequences, that have extended to many regions in the Sudanese state, and impacted countries in the region. While Western governments have increasingly condemned the massacres and violations resulting from military operations; especially those involving the Rapid Support Forces. Criticism of these governments is also growing, for failing to influence the warring parties and their regional backers. In light of this, this paper analyzes the limitations of the international role in the political and military conflict in Sudan. Arguing that the shortcomings of this role, stem not only from the rise of regional powers and their direct influence over the parties of the conflict, but also from the fragmented approaches adopted by international actors. These shortcomings include: the tendency sometimes to reduce the Sudanese war to an "ideological" conflict between the warring parties, or a rivalry between two generals, the inclination to delegate the management of the conflict to regional powers allied with Western governments, the tendency towards a single civilian bloc, the introduction of simplistic frameworks for complex issues such as military reform and civil-military relations reform, the delay of economic support for the transitional government, and the weak coordination between international and regional initiatives to resolve the conflict. In light of the opportunity presented by the Quartet initiative put forward by the Trump administration in partnership with regional actors. The paper proposes a number of ideas to address the shortcomings; including the threatening to review some agreements with the regional supporters of RSF, providing economic incentives to both sides of the war; while brandishing the threat of international trials for war violations, attempting to contain moderate Islamist forces to build a broad civilian consensus on the political settlement, postponing the discussion of civilian control over military institutions until a civilian government is elected, and supporting the post-war transitional government economically with clear mechanisms to monitor the implementation of this support.

March 17, 2026
Country reports

Senate Elections: Preparations, Steps, and Procedures

KAS Egypt Policy Research Paper # 1

On July 1, 2025, Egypt officially announced the date of Senate elections. This study reviews the electoral system governing the House, the management of the election process, partici-pation levels, campaigning practices, and the broader political environment shaping the elections. Although the Senate has limited legislative powers compared to the House of Representatives, its elections are important for several reasons. First, they offer insight into the government’s approach to political pluralism and competition. Second, the Senate provides a platform for elite representation and political appointments, shaping the balance between elected and appointed members in Egypt’s broader governance structure. Finally, these elections reveal the challenges of conducting competitive politics under a system that favors dominant parties.

March 17, 2026
Single title

Senate Elections: Results and Outcomes

KAS Egypt Policy Research Paper # 2

On September 4, 2025, the National Elections Authority (NEA) announced the results of the runoff round of the Senate elections, having declared the first-round results on August 12. Within weeks, the Senate will convene in full after the President appoints one-third of its members. This study analyzes the entire process (voting, counting, and announcing results) from several angles: the integrity of the elections, voter turnout, the performance of parties and forces, new phenomena in the process, and the broader impact on Egypt’s political landscape, particularly the upcoming House of Representatives elections.

March 17, 2026
Single title

Sudan: The Media Between War and Peacebuilding

Spotlight on Sudan No. 13

Since the outbreak of the recent Sudanese war, the media has become more than just a communication channel conveying facts to the public. It has transformed into a parallel arena to the conflict, where battles for influence and control are waged, awareness is shaped, and collective consciousness is directed. With the disintegration of state institutions and the decline of professional standards, the media environment has broken free from its traditional framework, becoming one of the most effective tools of war. Content is employed to reproduce hatred, re-engineer social divisions, and widen the existing national rift. This reality presents Sudan with a clear equation: no peace without media reform, and no stability without dismantling the linguistic and symbolic structures that shaped and legitimized the war.

March 17, 2026
Single title

The Election of The House of Representatives: The Results and The Outcomes

KAS Egypt Policy Research Paper # 4

The National Independent Elections Authority announced the results of the 2025 House of Representatives election in seven successive statements. Following the announcement, and the appointment of 5% of its members (28 deputies), the House convened in full composition. This study discusses all matters related to the election; namely, voting, vote count, and announcement of results and its implications; while focusing on particular aspects, primarily the election integrity, the significance of voter turnout, analysis of what political parties and actors have achieved, new aspects in this election, and its impact on the future of the country at large, including the anticipated presidential election – scheduled for 2030.

March 17, 2026
Single title

THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS Prearrangements, Steps, and Processes

KAS Egypt Policy Research Paper # 3

The National Independent Elections Authority announced the House of Representatives elections to be held on October 4, 2025. The Authority, therefore, invited the Egyptian electorate to cast their ballots, set the elections timetable, and initiated necessary prearrangements for the elections. This study addresses the position of the House of Representatives in the Egyptian political system. It also addresses the voters database for the forthcoming elections, the electoral system, elections management, candidacy, the electoral campaigns, and other prearrangements related to the elections.

March 17, 2026
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The Social Fabric and Its Impact on the Sudanese Conflict

Spotlight on Sudan No. 11

The war in Sudan is not merely a conflict between armed factions vying for political dominance; rather, it embodies a protracted crisis deeply rooted in the structure of the Sudanese society. Ethnicity, tribalism, regional affiliation, and cultural identity have been transformed from frameworks of belonging into tools for political mobilization and collective violence. The current war, and the preceding conflicts and fractures within the Sudanese state and society, are not isolated events. Instead, they are considered the cumulative result of historical exclusions, institutional failures, and identity-based governance that have developed since the independence of Sudan in 1956 and intensified with successive authoritarian regimes.

March 17, 2026
Single title

The Structural Crisis of the Sudanese State

Towards a National Model of a Foundational Justice and Peacebuilding Sudan Spotlight No. 12

Sudan is currently experiencing a complex crisis that surpasses any previous experience. Political complexities are intertwined with the eruption of armed conflicts and multiple armies. Furthermore, the intervention of regional and international powers. In this context, transitional justice becomes more than just a legal framework or a post-war phase. It is a strategic tool for peacebuilding and re-establishing the state. Traditional global models of transitional justice; from South Africa to Rwanda, cannot, on their own, encompass the complexities of Sudan. Whereas, individual and collective crimes intersect, state authority is absent, and actors without clear tribal or local affiliations emerge. Making impunity more likely, and complicating the process of building a sustainable peace, that guarantees lasting stability for the Sudanese state.

March 17, 2026
Single title

Zwischen Kooperation und Kalkül

Länderbericht zu den außenpolitschen Beziehungen zwischen Ägypten und den USA

Als sich im Frühjahr 2025 Delegationen aus Washington, Kairo und mehreren regionalen Akteuren in Scharm el-Scheich zu einem hochrangigen Friedensgipfel trafen, wirkte das Treffen wie ein Moment relativer Normalität in einer zunehmend fragmentierten internationalen Ordnung. Ägypten präsentierte sich erneut als Vermittler im Gaza-Konflikt, die Vereinigten Staaten als unverzichtbarer Machtfaktor, der trotz wachsender globaler Spannungen handlungsfähig bleibt. Der erzielte diplomatische Fortschritt war begrenzt, doch seine symbolische Bedeutung war erheblich. Nur wenige Monate zuvor hatte ein Terroranschlag im US-Bundesstaat Colorado die Beziehungen zwischen beiden Staaten auf eine Probe gestellt. Der Täter, ein junger Mann ägyptischer Herkunft, löste eine innenpolitisch aufgeladene Debatte in den USA aus. Präsident Donald Trump reagierte mit einer erneuten Verschärfung des sogenannten Travel Ban. Auffällig war jedoch, dass Ägypten, anders als andere mehrheitlich muslimische Staaten, erneut von den restriktiven Maßnahmen ausgenommen blieb. Diese Entscheidung verweist auf eine tieferliegende Konstante amerikanischer Außenpolitik. Ägypten gilt in Washington seit Jahrzehnten als strategischer Sonderfall. Selbst in Phasen politischer Irritationen, öffentlicher Kontroversen oder wachsender geopolitischer Differenzen bleibt Kairo ein privilegierter Partner. Die gleichzeitige Fähigkeit beider Staaten, nach dem Anschlag wieder an einem Tisch Platz zu nehmen, verdeutlicht die strukturelle Belastbarkeit dieser Beziehung.

Steffen Krüger
March 17, 2026
Country reports

Backdrop, Paths, and Ceasefire Opportunities

Spotlight on Sudan #9

Sudan has been witnessing a brutal war since April 2023, one that has displaced approximately a quarter of the population internally and externally. It has also created a massive humanitarian crisis. This war takes root in the protracted political conflict that has been ongoing since the 2018 December revolution that ousted former President Omar al-Bashir. In this context, three dimensions have emerged in the inter-Sudanese interactions, including the ideological and ethnic dimensions of the political conflict, as well as the military’s ambitions to seize political power, which it has succeeded in attaining through military coups throughout modern Sudanese history. So far, all local and international efforts to stop the war have failed. The world is currently looking forward to a new attempt by the Republican US administration, headed by President Donald Trump, in cooperation with the key Arab countries Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In light of this context, the paper addresses in detail the course of the political crisis that has led to the Sudanese war, presenting the influencing factors and background information, as well as the roles of the political and military elites within it. It also explains the field maps of the conflict. Finally, the paper presents a number of recommendations regarding proposed approaches and policies to address the Sudanese crisis.

November 10, 2025
Single title

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