Sudan’s political transition marked a significant milestone on March 17, 2021, when its interim authorities agreed to transfer military-owned commercial companies to the control of civilian-headed government ministries. This was remarkable in a country dominated by the armed forces almost uninterruptedly since the late 1950s, all the more so as the issue of divestment had been a bone of public civil-military contention for a cash-strapped government over the preceding year.
While the agreement is an encouraging first step, comparable experiences worldwide underline that military divestment may be partial and incomplete even when civilian authorities are in clear command. Sudan’s contested political arena and fragmentary security landscape point to far more intricate negotiations ahead and an even less assured outcome. Indeed, the agreement contained little, if any, detail on how and when restructuring will actually take place, suggesting that some of the more difficult issues may have been kicked down the road, if not into the long grass.