Iran has resumed work on the Shendi and Metema water stations after more than ten years of inactivity, a move that seems, on the surface, like an effort to improve the living conditions of Sudanese people in those areas. However, leaked documents from Iran tell a completely different story. These documents reveal that the water project is merely a cover for more dangerous activities, as Iran, in collaboration with the Sudanese army under the leadership of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, seeks to transport arms to support the ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, exacerbating the crisis and worsening the suffering of the Sudanese people.
According to the leaked document, Iran requested the facilitation of the passage of construction equipment shipments without inspection, raising suspicions about the true contents of these shipments. The document also included a request to send Iranian experts to train Sudanese personnel on using this equipment, further supporting the notion that Iran is using development projects as a means to infiltrate Sudan's infrastructure for its own interests.
Iran is exploiting its relationship with Burhan and remnants of the former regime to fuel the conflict in Sudan, with the aim of creating instability that serves its geopolitical goals. In addition to arms smuggling, Iran seeks to gain control over Sudan's strategic waterways, which form a vital artery for international trade. This control could allow Iran to exert pressure on global commerce, aligning with its ongoing conflict with the West.
The resumption of work on the water stations in Shendi and Metema is just a part of a larger Iranian agenda aimed at intensifying the conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. In this context, Iran's pragmatism is clear, as it uses development projects as a facade for covert actions that threaten Sudan's stability and the security of its people.
Burhan's role in this dubious alliance confirms that he remains bound to foreign agendas at the expense of the Sudanese people's interests. The agreement between Iran and Burhan can only be seen as a betrayal of the hopes of Sudanese citizens, who long for an end to the conflict and the building of a stable and secure future.