CARPO Pulse
This CARPO Pulse examines the UAE’s expanding political-economic footprint in Ethiopia and Sudan through the intersection of strategic infrastructure, mineral investment, and regional conflict. Taking the Kurmuk gold project on the Ethiopia-Sudan border as an entry point, it explores how Emirati capital intersects with wider Chinese, Western, and African investment networks as Sudan’s war becomes increasingly regionalized. The analysis highlights how ports, mines, border crossings, and logistical corridors are becoming interconnected strategic nodes, generating opportunities for economic connectivity while also creating political leverage and security risks. It asks whether external capital and strategic engagement can strengthen African economic agency without deepening dependency and proxy competition.
