Disaster in Sudan

Sudan is the world’s forgotten war [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up [here](. For all the horrors of Gaza and Ukraine, what is threatening to become the world’s biggest hunger crisis and is already the largest displacement disaster lies elsewhere. The plight of Sudan is almost completely absent from a global conversation consumed by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza as well as its worsening confrontation with Iran. About 15,000 people have died since the civil war in the North African nation [began a year ago today](, and another 18 million people [are experiencing “acute hunger,”]( according to the United Nations World Food Programme. Nearly 11 million have been driven from their homes and large parts of the capital, Khartoum, are in ruins. With fears of widespread famine growing, donors are gathering in Paris today for another high-level pledging conference, yet neither of the combatants will be represented. At the center of the fight are the Sudanese army under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan aligned with various Islamist elements, and the Rapid Support Forces rebel militia, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and born out of the remnants of the infamous janjaweed — “devils on horseback” — that was accused of perpetrating genocide in the Darfur region. Middle Eastern states are deeply involved, [Mohammed Alamin]( and [Simon Marks]( write. The United Arab Emirates is a key backer of the RSF, supplying it with weapons and funding, according to a leaked UN report. The UAE denies any involvement. Meanwhile, Iran has supplied drones to the army, Western diplomats say. On the ground, Sudan’s complex patchwork of allegiances is only making things more complicated with well-armed militia groups taking sides, Islamists joining the army’s ranks and ordinary civilians taking up arms. That volatile mix has raised fears that even if a cease-fire is struck — a longshot given repeated failed attempts brokered by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and others — the nightmare for Sudanese will continue. — [Neil Munshi]( A fire rages in al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, in September 2023, after a bombardment by the RSF. Source: AFP/Getty Images Global Must Reads Ensuring that any retaliation by Israel against Iran for its weekend salvo of missiles and drones doesn’t raise the stakes too high is the key goal of the US and allies. Behind the [unprecedented nature of the attack]( was a dance of diplomatic signaling that allowed both sides to claim success, raising the risk of a broader conflict without making it a certainty. Demonstrators celebrate the attack on Israel at Palestine Square in Tehran yesterday. Photographer: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in China with a warning: President Xi Jinping must act soon to address discriminatory business practices if he is to [avoid European Union tariffs](, including on electric vehicles. “Competition must be fair,” Scholz said in Shanghai today, identifying dumping and copyright infringement as core areas of concern, in a similar message to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Scholz is due to meet with Xi tomorrow. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is resisting advice to set the date for the next UK general election, [risking a leadership challenge](, sources tell [Alex Wickham]( and [Kitty Donaldson](. Sunak will be in more trouble with his fractured Conservative Party if they do as badly as forecast in local voting on May 2. The best way to safeguard his position would be to enter campaign mode for the national election, which is due by late January, yet he is unwilling to do so while so far behind the main opposition Labour Party in the polls. A rundown factory on the edge of the Czech medieval town of Sternberk used to fix military vehicles abandoned by the Nazis after World War II. Now it [refits Soviet-era tanks]( for action in Ukraine. The plant is part of a compound churning out military hardware for the war that has made a billionaire of its owner as defense firms boom in the new geopolitical landscape. As the El Niño weather pattern withers crops in Zimbabwe, as well as other southern African nations such as Malawi and Zambia, the government in Harare is [considering importing corn from Brazil]( for the first time since 2014. Normally, the three countries are self-sufficient or can meet the bulk of their own needs with occasional shortfalls covered by imports from South Africa, the biggest producer in the region. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged allies and partners “to take extraordinary steps” to [provide more air defense systems]( to repel Russian attacks. Civil society groups led by Amnesty International called on the Nigerian government to [block Shell’s proposed sale]( of its onshore oil business to ensure adequate safeguards for human rights. Venezuela’s government arrested two high-level energy officials yesterday following the detention of a former oil minister amid [an investigation into billions]( of lost revenue at the state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela. Washington Dispatch The criminal trial of Donald Trump, which begins today in New York, [marks an extraordinary moment]( in an astounding political life. The proceedings, expected to last at least six weeks, promise to abound with an element essential to every Trump narrative: spectacle. Courtrooms in Lower Manhattan can offer dramas that not only rival anything in the Theater District uptown, but have inspired scores of writers, directors and the creators of “Law and Order.” This trial involves an adult film star, an ambitious district attorney and political intrigue from the 2016 election complicating the 2024 race. Then there’s the defendant himself. He began his first run for the presidency with a theatrical flourish, riding down an escalator at Trump Tower. But long before that, Trump’s career as a real-estate developer and his business triumphs, marriages and brushes with disaster had become part of New York lore. His showmanship and larger-than-life unpredictability later led to reality television stardom. Accused of falsifying business records to conceal a sex scandal during his 2016 campaign, Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday that he might take the witness stand, though he is not required to. And sounding almost like a character who’d stepped out of “Guys and Dolls,” he said, “Jury selection is largely luck. It depends who you get.” One thing to watch today: Retail sales data for March are expected to show a moderation in consumer demand. [Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter]( for more from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 1 and 5 p.m. ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. Chart of the Day US and UK sanctions on Russian metals will cement China as [Moscow’s buyer of last resort]( for key commodities, and enhance Shanghai’s role as a venue to set prices for materials crucial to the global economy. The London Metal Exchange’s ban on newly produced Russian aluminum, copper and nickel is likely to drive Chinese imports even higher. And Finally In August 2016, Zurich-based lawyer Cordelia Baehr and about 270 pioneering members of KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz, which loosely translates as Senior Women for Climate Protection Switzerland, held their first meeting. Almost eight years later, they made legal history, winning a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Switzerland “[failed to comply with its duties](” concerning climate change and had violated the plaintiffs’ rights of respect for private and family life. The verdict carries outsized importance because decisions by the court are binding across all 46 member states of the Council of Europe. Members of KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz react following the decision. Photographer: Frederick Florin/AFP/Getty Images Thanks to the 39 people who answered the Friday quiz and congratulations to Robert Kaufman, who was the first to name Iran as the country whose mastery of drone technology has made it a formidable arms dealer. More from Bloomberg - Check out our [Bloomberg Investigates]( film series about untold stories and unraveled mysteries - [Bloomberg Opinion]( for a roundup of our most vital opinions on business, politics, economics, tech and more - [Next Africa](, a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed - [Economics Daily]( for what the changing landscape means for policy makers, investors and you - [Green Daily]( for the latest in climate news, zero-emission tech and green finance - Explore more newsletters at [Bloomberg.com](. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. 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