The Deep State: Who Remains After the War?
Ibrahim Shaglawi
When we speak of the deep state, we are not referring to a ruling regime that has seized or returned to power, but rather to a deeply rooted system of opportunistic and corrupt behaviors and practices that have crippled the Sudanese state since independence to this day.
This system resembles bacteria that grow in stagnant environments, creating their own incubators whenever a vacuum appears in leadership or a weakness emerges in decision-making institutions.
As we know, networks of interests are supported by an opportunistic environment entrenched over decades, formed through an interlinked relationship between politics and the economy, where businessmen, vested interests, and other influential actors have turned political and economic disorder into tools for profit and influence.
These networks do not stop at the boundaries of the government’s formal market; rather, they penetrate the informal economy and exploit institutional weakness to fuel corruption and create a parallel market that controls strategic resources such as fuel, food, and essential services.
The smuggling of natural resources—foremost among them gold, for example—is not merely an individual violation, but a reflection of a system of networks and opportunistic behaviors that seek profit, control, and illicit gain by exploiting the state’s loopholes, fragility, and the weakness of actors within decision-making circles.
In this context, the River Nile State Police present a vivid example of the state’s capacity to confront this system, when they thwarted yesterday—according to reports—the smuggling of more than 18 kilograms of gold without official documentation, arrested suspects in possession of gold bars and granules, and took strict legal measures against them.
This seizure represents a genuine moment of confrontation with entrenched corruption and shows that the state is still capable—albeit partially—of protecting its resources and reasserting its authority over strategic assets that have long been subject to manipulation by the unscrupulous.
The achievement is not only security-related; it clearly confirms that the state, despite its fragility after the war, can limit the influence of the deep state through decisive measures, the enforcement of the law, and the protection of the national economy from manipulation and opportunism.
Corruption is no longer an individual issue or a scattered phenomenon; it has become a system that threatens the structure and stability of the state since independence to the present day. The accumulation of this imbalance contributed to creating the environment that led to the war that destroyed infrastructure, displaced millions, and crushed the dignity of the citizen. Yet the state remained hostage to corruption, while the citizen paid the highest price to preserve the homeland—from the lives of his sons to his daily sacrifices. Meanwhile, networks of interests have remained more capable of adaptation and survival.
This reality is intensifying under current conditions.
In the absence of a legislative authority capable of close oversight and accountability, the media and the press have become compelled to bear the burden of conveying the truth and monitoring official performance to alert decision-makers, while distinguishing between responsible criticism and disinformation campaigns that may be part of internal power struggles or instruments of war aimed at fragmenting the internal front.
Analyses published by trusted writers have confirmed that confronting this phenomenon requires the establishment of strong, independent oversight institutions, foremost among them the Anti-Corruption and Public Funds Recovery Commission, as stipulated in the amended Constitutional Document of 2025. This is an essential step toward restoring citizens’ trust, enforcing the law on all without exception, and confronting the opportunistic system embedded within the state.
Returning the Sudanese state to its natural course is not about restoring the dominance of any ruling regime, but about rebuilding institutions on scientific and professional foundations characterized by transparency, imposing oversight on resources, and holding accountable anyone who hijacks them for narrow interests. This requires strengthening policies and laws, improving economic governance, and linking it to public policies so that all sectors are integrated within a clear and responsible legal framework, while curbing the black market that feeds opportunistic influence.
At the same time, confronting the deep state requires a new political and social culture that redefines the relationship between citizen and state, enhances leaders’ awareness of their responsibilities, and closes the gaps exploited by this opportunistic system.
International experiences worthy of emulation—such as Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, and Morocco—demonstrate that seriously confronting corruption, establishing effective independent oversight institutions, and ensuring equality before the law lead to stability, stimulate development, and grant the state the ability to assert sovereignty over its institutions and resources.
Qualitative seizures, such as the foiling of gold smuggling in River Nile State, represent an important shift and demonstrate that confrontation is possible, that the state can reassert its authority, redefine the concept of legal authority away from opportunistic influence, and lay the foundations for managing the country’s affairs in broad daylight without concealment or manipulation.
According to #The_Face_of_Truth, the coming phase is decisive for Sudan: either the state becomes transparent and capable of accountability, with effective institutions ready to confront the persistent network of opportunism, or it will once again be driven back to the square of collapse and chaos. Every practical step to establish an Anti-Corruption Commission, hold officials accountable, and strengthen oversight of resources represents the beginning of a project to rebuild the state—as an administrative system and as a social and political institution capable of protecting citizens, restoring society’s trust in the state, and putting an end to the corruption and opportunism that have burdened Sudan since independence to this day.
Confronting the deep state requires political will, popular awareness, and decisive measures to transform the sacrifices of the Sudanese people into a real state—strong, grounded in law, justice, and transparency—far from corruption, domination, and extortion.
Wishing you continued health and well-being.
Monday, February 23, 2026
Shglawi55@gmail.com
