Why Sudan’s conflict matters to the rest of the world

Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan (Marwan Ali/AP)

Fighting in Sudan between forces loyal to two top generals has put the African nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders.

Both sides have tens of thousands of fighters, foreign backers, mineral riches and other resources that could insulate them from sanctions. It is a recipe for the kind of prolonged conflict that has devastated other countries in the Middle East and Africa, from Lebanon and Syria to Libya and Ethiopia.