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Omar al-Bashir, who left office in April, before his military overthrow.
BY CASEY ROEPKE ’21
Mass protests in Sudan started in December 2018 and heightened this summer, resulting in the killings of political dissidents by the militarized government. The initial protests were driven by the economic instability of the country, but as the months went on, protesters strengthened their demands. According to BBC, on April 6, “demonstrators occupied the square in front of the military’s headquarters to demand that the army force the president out.” On April 11, the military announced that President Omar al-Bashir had been overthrown after 30 years of dictatorial leadership.
Over the summer months, the protesters’ optimism after al-Bashir’s ouster turned sour. Activists demanded that the transitional military council allow democratic elections led by civilians. Military groups were reluctant to give up power and, in June, soldiers opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in Khartoum, killing 118 people. In response, the United Nations called for an independent investigation, claiming that Sudan was turning into a “human rights abyss,” as reported by CNN.
Lydia Henning ’21 was a press intern at the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs this summer, where she researched the upheaval of Sudan’s political system. “The protests reflect a long history of disputes and violence in the country about Islamic and tribal identities, southern sovereignty and a legacy of British colonialism,” she said.
South Sudan has announced plans to form a transitional government on Nov. 12. Henning said that she was surprised by the ignorance in the U.S. surrounding the events in Sudan.
“If I had not been involved in this project ... about relations in South Sudan, there was a lot of context I wouldn’t be aware of,” she said. “I was upset to learn, although not surprised, about longer-term systemic violence committed against Sudanese people.”