The war in Sudan is in its third year and it has emerged that gold and battle for oil control are at the heart of the conflict among other issues.
Recently it has been discovered that weapons used in the battle have been coming from Turkiye and Pakistan and the country is now turning out to be their testing ground.
On August 7, 2026, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” and this deal for Sudan seems to be more than a new political umbrella for the three nations.
With the Saudi coming in with oil billions, Sudan is now the arena to test the weapons from the two nations against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Mecca Agreement stipulates that an armed attack on any one of the three countries is considered an attack on all of them, alongside expanding military cooperation, defense industries, training, and strategic coordination.
The signatory states affirmed that the agreement is defensive and not directed at any particular state, but Sudan presents the first potential practical test of this partnership outside the territory of the three countries.
The Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani defence cooperation was preceded by the signing of an agreement between the three nations.
Media reports from Le Monde and others shows that Riyadh is financing the purchase of Turkish drones and Pakistani weapons for the Sudanese armed forces.
Pakistan already has a Sh194 billion contract that covers fighter jets, armored vehicles, and drones for Saudi.
The Sudan army drone strikes targeting RSF near the Chad border are alleged to have crossed over several kilometers.
On August 22, 2026, the Chadian army general staff said that aircraft and drones believed to belong to the Sudanese army or forces allied with it had bombed, on August 20 and 21, a convoy of around 200 vehicles inside eastern Ennedi, at a depth exceeding 100 kilometers from the border.
In response to these allegations the Sudanese army said that the convoy was carrying reinforcements for the RSF.
The US condemned the strikes inside Chad, alongside a border move to impose restrictions on the flow of weapons into Sudan.
Washington at the UN Security Council proposed expanding the arms embargo imposed on Sudan since 2005 to cover the entire country, including drones, warning that external military and financial support is prolonging the war and threatens to draw neighboring countries into it.
As for Turkey, its indirect military presence is more evident: the Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı have entered the army's arsenal Sh15 billion between Baykar and the Sudanese side, covering drones, equipment, and technical support.
It has been revealed that Turkish trainers have been working with the Sudan army showing the deeper connection between the two nations.
Pakistani armoured vehicles have been seen around Khartoum since August, an indication that the arms deal has begun to leave a material impact despite not having been officially announced.
The importance of this shift is growing alongside the American attempt to expand the arms embargo imposed on Darfur to cover all of Sudan.
