Chinese intervention in the second Sudanese civil war : a case study of China's role as a third party and its effects on the second civil war in Sudan, 1989-2005

China is increasing its presence in the global South. This has not gone unnoticed by the world and China has experienced criticism for its engagement with ‘rogue states’ and its lack of transparency. Sudan is one of the cases where China has received the most criticism for its engagement. Sudan has experienced over 40 years of civil wars and conflicts. External actors like Ethiopia, Israel, the US, and regional and international organizations have been important supporters of the combatants. After the 1989-coup in Sudan during its second civil war, China increased its presence in the country as Sudan became more isolated. The literature on China’s engagement tends to conceive China as merely an oil company or a weapon supplier. However, in this thesis I argue that China should be conceived as a third party intervener in order to fully comprehend the Chinese influence on the second civil war in Sudan. In spite of China’s non-interference policy and respect for sovereignty, China’s presence has become an influential factor in the Sudanese war. The dynamics of the civil war have politicized Chinese actions. Therefore, I argue that China should be conceived as a third party in the conflict. In general, third party theories assert that an intervener aims to end the conflict, either through negotiations or by supporting one of the parties. Since China’s engagement was not motivated by such an aim, I will present spoiler theory as an additional tool and analytical framework to understand the effects of the Chinese engagement in Sudan. Because China has a different policy than most western actors, I will further apply Cunningham’s theory of interveners with independent goals. To be capable of discussing China’s role I will thoroughly present the causes and motives of the civil wars in Sudan to grasp the conflict dynamics, and point to the politicization which integrated aid, investments and oil in the second civil war. This thesis will test existing theories of third party intervention and develop a new concept – the notion of an external sponsor – that I argue can better explain China’s role in Sudan and to promote a more comprehensive understanding the second civil war in Sudan