The Face of Truth: The Sudanese Coast… Between the Limits of Power and Hesitation

Ibrahim Shaglawi

The Sudan News Agency revealed on Thursday that the Sudanese Sea Ports Authority had received a proposal submitted by the Indian companies “Tradel Technology” and “Trust Marine” to establish a berth at Osman Digna Port in Suakin on the Red Sea coast, aimed at expanding ports and increasing capacity according to global standards.

This proposal is considered a positive indicator of global interest in Sudanese ports, placing the country before a strategic test: will it invest its geographical and political resources, or will it remain hesitant and exposed to external leverage as has happened before?

Sudan possesses a coastline on the Red Sea stretching approximately 850 kilometers, making it a pivotal player in the Horn of Africa and vital maritime routes, and a gateway to global supply chains. The Iranian-American conflict has revealed fragility in maritime shipping lines, while the importance of secure ports has reshaped global trade priorities, demonstrating that ports are no longer merely economic tools but have become significant instruments of political influence.

Here emerges the fundamental question: why does our government remain hesitant in the face of these immense capabilities? What is it waiting for?

It is well known that the struggle over Sudanese ports has been part of the tragic conflict and ambitions that ignited the April 15, 2023 war, contributing to the destabilization of Sudan. Therefore, as long as hesitation persists in taking clear steps toward investing in ports and the coastline, these ambitions will remain lurking, possibly returning in new forms of pressure and leverage.

This compels the state to recognize that the opportunity is no longer merely investment, but a defense of national decision-making.

Previous understandings with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or the State of Qatar to modernize and develop Port Sudan as a logistics hub, alongside the Indian proposal to develop Suakin Port, represent clear indications that the world has begun to place Sudan at the forefront of its development priorities. However, the success of these initiatives depends on our ability to transform projects into an integrated system that protects national interests, strengthens sovereignty, and grants us the ability to control terms, rather than allowing projects to be imposed in ways that enable others to control our country.

Thus, the issue is not only about missed opportunities, but that ports have become instruments of influence, and any hesitation in managing them means losing the ability to exert regional impact.

Whoever possesses the ability to initiate and control projects owns part of the decision-making in the region, while those who lag behind become subject to pressure and control. This is a reality that every official must understand before any negotiation, because any delay does not only waste an economic opportunity, but opens a political vulnerability that could cost Sudan dearly.

The Indian proposal, with its advanced technical vision, adds an important economic dimension, but it loses much of its value if it is not incorporated into a comprehensive national strategy that links all ports—from Port Sudan to Suakin—within an integrated network capable of absorbing all transformations.

From an economic perspective, any port development must be tied to a broader vision that connects it with the oil, agriculture, and industrial sectors, as well as major national projects such as the Gezira Scheme, and maximizes the benefit from gum arabic and other national resources, in order to enhance added value and ensure that ports become engines of sustainable economic growth, rather than isolated facilities serving external parties more than the state.

Notably, the history of investment in Sudanese ports is rich with moments of brightness, yet we lack the courage for the future. In Sudanese memory, ports have always been our gateway to the world—we were known through Suakin and Port Sudan. Today, it is necessary to revive that influence and inherited wisdom, but with a new spirit: smart partnerships, transparent contracts, and a national vision that places Sudan’s interests first without isolation or compromise. The issue is neither to open the coast without controls nor to close it out of fear, but to possess the ability to negotiate from a position of strength, not from a position of need.

If our country succeeds in unifying its vision and linking ports within an integrated development system, the coast will transform into a of economic and political power, redefining its role in the region and the world. If it fails, golden opportunities will turn into lost memories, leaving the coast open to ambitions and external leverage.

Thus, according to #Face_of_Truth, the equation remains: a coast that is not invested in becomes vulnerable and exposed to ambitions. Between the limits of power and hesitation, the destinies of nations are determined.

Sudan today stands at a rare moment: either it transforms the Red Sea into a lever for development and economic strength, or leaves it as an open arena for the conflicts of others. In a world that does not forgive hesitation, the next opportunity may not come with the same generosity.

Will the state seize the thread of initiative, or remain watching the crashing waves?

Wishing you well and in good health.

Monday, April 13, 2026

Shglawi55@gmail.com