China and Russia in Sudan: Surveying Data on Economic and Military Engagement

Authors: Mateja Peter and Marcel Plichta

To understand how non-Western actors influence peace processes, research needs to expand on the study of their direct engagement in peacemaking to include broader military and economic activities.

Based on exploratory research tracking economic and military engagement of China and Russia in Sudan, this report discusses the reliability of available economic and security data, and how this data influences our understanding of existing studies and could inform future work. The authors demonstrate how the data on economic and military engagement supports some existing understandings of engagement with Sudan while challenging others. Findings are outlined along with considerations for further research on non-Western interventions in Sudan, the Horn of Africa region, and other conflict affected territories in general.

The Global Transitions Series looks at fragmentations in the global order and how these impact peace and transition settlements. It explores why and how different third-party actors – state, intergovernmental, and non-governmental – intervene in conflicts, and how they see themselves contributing to reduction of conflict and risks of conflict relapse. The series critically assesses the growth and diversification of global and regional responses to contemporary conflicts. It also asks how local actors are navigating this multiplicity of mediators and peacebuilders and how this is shaping conflict outcomes and post-conflict governance.