Authors : Osman A.O. Elmakki

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 1 - January

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/bddba5jp

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4fspuyr9

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14808085

Abstract : This paper examines the relationship between rich natural resources and national sovereignty in Sudan, assessing the implications of resource exploitation on governance, social cohesion, and environmental viability. The paper discusses Sudan, which is a country with much wealth in oil, gold, and very fertile agricultural land. While this may present huge economic opportunities, the management of resources is often undermining political stability and national autonomy. The research underlines how reliance on resource revenues exacerbates inequality, fuels corruption, and intensifies social conflict-particularly in Darfur, South Sudan, and many other marginalized areas. Further, external influences, foreign investment, and multinational companies confuse the calculus of sovereignty with profit and not sustainable development. In addition, environmental degradation like deforestation and water pollution further degrades local livelihoods and national stability. The findings that emerge highlight a paradox: even as natural resources can potentially boost Sudan's economy, poor governance and external pressures limit their benefits and weaken the nation's sovereignty. The paper therefore advocates for sustainable management of resources, inclusive frameworks for governance, and fair sharing of resource revenues as remedies for these challenges. The focus on environmental integrity coupled with socio- political equity allows Sudan to turn its natural wealth into a basis for stability and sovereignty.

Keywords : Natural Resources; Sudan; Sovereignty; Resource Exploitation; Governance; Foreign Investment; Multinational Corporations; Social Conflict; Economic Development; Gold Mining; Oil Revenue.

References :

1. Addison, T., & Lebdioui, A. (2022). Public savings in Africa: Do sovereign wealth funds serve development? (No. 2022/159). WIDER Working Paper.
2. Ajang J, A. (2024). The Oil Resource Affluence and Human Security in Sub-Saran Africa: Reconnoitering Sacrilege in Abyei Region. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 8(3), 622-636.
3. Alkordi, D. H. (2022). Economic Impact of Natural Resource Extraction by Multinational Corporations: Case Studies of the State of Alabama, USA and the Republic of Sudan, Northeast Africa (Doctoral dissertation, Tuskegee University).
4. Alredaisy, S. M. A. H. (2024). The spatial impacts of Sudanese theoretical bases of development and the relevant designated policies. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 11(1), 401-412.
5. Alredaisy, S. M. A. H. International Imperialism and Eco-Political Globalization Schemes for the Division of Sudan.
6. Alredaisy, S. M. A. H. The PhysicalGeography of Sudan: A State’s Power and Threats.
7. Alredaisy, S. M. A. H. The Problems of Political Governance and Threats to Geographical Partition in Sudan.
8. Alredaisy, S. M. A. H. The theoretical bases of Sudanese development planning and some of the related negative impacts, 1898-1990.
9. Al-Sadiq, A., Al-Sadiq, M. A. J., & Gutiérrez, D. A. (2023). Do sovereign wealth funds reduce fiscal policy pro-cyclicality? new evidence using a non-parametric approach. International Monetary Fund.
10. Atem, M. D. (2022). South Sudan Conflict: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Peacebuilding Through Sustainable Development.
11. Baldo, S. (2021). Sudan struggles to control its parastatals. The Sentry, 30.
12. Bartlett, A. L. (2020). Dismantling the'deep state'in Sudan. Australasian Review of African Studies, The, 41(1), 49-69.
13. Blanco, G. D., Fernández-Llamazares, Á., Blanco, G. D., Baker, J., Tagliari, M. S. M., Hayata, M. A., ... & Hanazaki, N. (2023). The impacts of mining on the food sovereignty and security of Indigenous Peoples and local communities: A global review. Science of the Total Environment, 855, 158803.
14. Buny, A. A., & Apet, D. A. Human Resources and Economic Development: A South Sudanese Perspective. Journal for Research on Business and Social Science (ISSN (Online) 2209-7880), 5(6).
15. Chilunjika, A., Daky, D. O. L., & Muzvidziwa-Chilunjika, S. R. (2020). Secession and the Political Economy of South Sudan from 2011 to 2017. International Journal of African Renaissance Studies, 15(2), 87-114.
16. Çinar, H. Y., & Özer, A. (2023). Internal and External Factors behind the Instability in Sudan. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs, 28(2), 173-193.
17. Gathuoy, P. L. D. (2022). A Critical Evaluation of The Petroleum Regulatory Framework in The Context of Environmental Issues of South Sudan (Doctoral dissertation, Institute of Petroleum Studies-Kampala).
18. Karamalla-Gaiballa, N., & El-Kafafi, S. (2021). The Impact of Conflicts on Natural Resources–The Case of Sudanese Darfur Region. Polish Political Science Yearbook, 50(1), 1-12.
19. Kedir, A. M. (2024). Natural Resource Management: Implications, Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Development Financing. Routledge Handbook of Natural Resource Governance in Africa, 163-177.
20. Kohnert, D. (2023). On the impact of the 2023 Sudanese war on Africa and beyond. Available at SSRN 4473724.
21. Lilienthal, G., Ahmad, N., Awoke, B. S., & Elfakharani, A. M. (2023). The Blue Nile and its Watercourse Through Ethiopia into Sudan and Egypt. Tulane Environmental Law Journal, 36(1/2), 7-42.
22. Masuku, S. (2023). A tale of a rentier social contract and diminishing economic rents: Multinationalism and resource-seeking capital in contemporary Africa. International Journal of Political Economy, 52(1), 104-116.
23. Mlambo, V. H., Aniche, E. T., & Masuku, M. M. (2024). Managing Conflict in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for the African Union. The Palgrave Handbook of Violence in Africa, 1051-1070.
24. Mohammed, I. M. (2023). The Stateness Problem: The Case of South Sudan. In The Emergence of the State: A Comparative Analysis of Kosovo and South Sudan (pp. 113-140). Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.
25. Mollan, S., & Corker, C. (2023). Sovereignty and imperialism: International business, finance and the position of Sudan in the British empire. Business History, 1-22.
26. Nwali, U. (2021). Sustainable human security in Africa: Exploring the effects of diminishing natural resources and low sovereign wealth funds. Political Economy of Resource, Human Security and Environmental Conflicts in Africa, 39-65.
27. Obilikwu, J., & Ibrahim, A. (2023). Sovereign Wealth Fund and Fiscal Performance: A Case of Nigeria in the Midst of Other Natural Resources Rich Countries in Africa. Lapai Journal of Economics, 7(2), 206-219.
28. Olanrewaju, F. O., Joshua, S., & Olanrewaju, A. (2020). Natural resources, conflict and security challenges in Africa. India Quarterly, 76(4), 552-568.
29. Ossowski, R. (2021). Sovereign wealth funds in resource-rich Caribbean countries. Economic institutions for a resilient Caribbean, 241-295.
30. Owujie, C. (2023). Post-war interventions and security challenges in south Sudan: A Case of Peace Process (Doctoral dissertation, Kampala International University, College of Humanities and social Science).
31. Patey, L. (2024). Oil, gold, and guns: The violent politics of Sudan’s resource re-curse. Environment and Security, 2(3), 412-430.
32. Salih, H. G. M., Musa, A. A. M., Adam, M. M., & Saleh, H. G. M. (2024). Human Development in Sudan: Evaluating Progress and Addressing Challenges. JIAN-Jurnal Ilmiah Administrasi Negara, 8(2), 14-27.
33. Sempijja, N., & El Hassani, A. (2024). Resource Dynamics, Secession, and State Fragmentation: The Cases of Congo and South Sudan. African Conflict & Peacebuilding Review, 14(3), 62-91.
34. Sennesael, F., & Verhoeven, H. (2024). Breaking from the past? Environmental narratives, logics of power, and the (re) production of food insecurity in South Sudan. Disasters, e12658.
35. Sennesael, F., & Verhoeven, H. (2024). Breaking from the past? Environmental narratives, logics of power, and the (re) production of food insecurity in South Sudan. Disasters, e12658.
36. Siddig, K., Raouf, M., & Ahmed, M. O. (2023). The economy-wide impact of Sudan’s ongoing conflict: Implications on economic activity, agrifood system and poverty. Intl Food Policy Res Inst.
37. Slom, F. A. A. Navigating the crossroads: Challenges and opportunities for governance reform in Sudan.
38. Thiak, S., & Hira, A. (2024). Strategic options for building a new electricity grid in South Sudan: The challenges of a new post-conflict nation. Energy Research & Social Science, 109, 103417.
39. Thomas, E., & De Waal, A. (2022). Hunger in Sudan’s political marketplace. World Peace Foundation.