the situation in sudan is extremely complex, but the basic point is that the area has resources and the colonial arab monarchies to their northeast (which are at about the same level of social development as 15th or 16th century europe, before any of the revolutions, even the glorious revolution that ended britain's single brief streak with totalitarian religionism) seek to exploit the region for minerals and for slaves and are making a bloody mess of it while they do so, as has been the status quo there through centuries of arab dominance and control. 

you could send us forces in to protect them, but they'd be more likely to get caught up in it.

if, however, there were merchants on the ground that controlled access to their own resources, and could protect those assets from theft by arabs and turks and chinese alike, the next question is how to prevent them from conquering somalia. that might be challenging to build but it's the right approach.