It’s the end of an era in Sudan.
One of the world’s longest-serving heads of state,
whose brutal rule over Sudan lasted for 30 years
was toppled after months of anti-government protests.
[NEWS ANCHOR]: “Turning to big breaking news out of Sudan this morning.”
[NEWS ANCHOR]: “State media have said the country's
armed forces will be making a quote important announcement.”
[NEWS ANCHOR]: “This out of Sudan. After 30 years in power,
President Omar al-Bashir has been forced out by the country’s military.”
[HOST]: But the end of Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s rule by a military coup
wasn’t enough to satisfy Sudanese protesters.
Now, they are calling for the end of the entire regime
that he built and that kept him in power for so long….
To understand how this all unfolded,
let’s go back to December 19th, 2018.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in the northeastern city of Atbara
and in other cities across Sudan.
They protested the country’s economic decline under al-Bashir.
Inflation had recently skyrocketed to nearly 70% and
the price of food had risen dramatically as well.
Take bread prices.
They rose to three times the normal rate,
making the staple increasingly unaffordable.
That’s why the protests were initially dubbed the “bread riots.”
But while the price of bread might have been the initial catalyst lof some of the unrest, some experts point out...
that it wasn’t the only reason.
The protests were largely a result of a broader dissatisfaction
with the 75-year-old president’s brutal rule.
A rule that is older… than the majority of the country’s population.
Nearly two out of three people there,
are under the age of 25, according to CIA estimates.
The protests continued to grow.
Even making their way to the capital Khartoum.
In April, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters
surrounded the army headquarters and made history.
These protests became the longest sustained demonstrations in Sudan…
since it gained independence in 1956.
The military started violently cracking down on the protesters.
But things started to change…
when some Sudanese soldiers began
protecting the anti-government protesters.
This marked the beginning of what would be the end of al-Bashir’s rule.
[NEWS ANCHOR]: “The Sudanese military has deployed troops around
the defense ministry on key road and bridges in the capital Khartoum.
There are reports that the head of the ruling party
and the former vice president have been detained.”
[HOST]: The military turned its back on al-Bashir,
poetically ending his presidency in a coup...
the same way he gained power in 1989.
People celebrated in the streets of Khartoum.
But those celebrations would be short lived….
The new military government, headed by Defense Minister Awad Ibn Awuf,
was far from what the people demanded.
The military’s plan included suspending Sudan’s constitution,
and said that Ibn Awuf would become the country’s leader
for the next two years,
then military would hand over control of the country in democratic elections.
But UN human rights officials have insisted that the new military government
listen to the demands for a quick transition to civilian rule.
“We are calling on the authorities to address the people's
demands and whatever transition is taking place,
needs to take place with the meaningful participation
of the dissenting voices and of civil society."”
The new military government also said it wouldn’t extradite al-Bashir
to the International Criminal Court… where he faces charges
of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
He’s wanted by the ICC for his role in the Darfur genocide
which began in 2003…
Hundreds of thousands of people were killed during that time.
And there are likely reasons the new government refused to hand al-Bashir over….
Some of the military officials swept into power after al-Bashir’s fall…
have also been accused of grave human rights violations by the same court…
[HENRY]: "One of the reasons why the first takeover which was announced on April 11th
was not received very well is because the head of it
the one who presented himself as the self appointed leader
is actually someone who had been responsible for
some very abusive military operations in Darfur and elsewhere
and was sanctioned himself by the United States in 2007.
And the protesters were just not happy with this military solution.
They said look we don't want more of the same.
[HOST] So the protesters continued calling for a revolution in the streets of Khartoum…
demanding new leadership.
And just like that…. In a matter of a day…
The Sudanese people ousted yet another leader from office.
He handing power to this man.
Another military general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan…
Who remains the country’s leader… At least for now.
[HENRY]: People have criticized that also.
But they feel that the [al-Burhan] is somehow easier to work with
and will help facilitate the transition.
So I'm not hearing from my sources as much anger about him personally
and but I think that it is definitely true that the members of the military council
include people who have blood on their hands
and most Sudanese people know that and that is why they're so keen
that power gets shifted to civilian leaders very quickly. "
So far, Burhan has taken meaningful steps to satisfy the protesters
-- like lifting curfews placed on them by the previous leader
and vowing to dismantle al-Bashir’s regime …
But that still isn’t enough for those demanding change.
So now, protesters and the military government remain in a stalemate.
While the military continues to install high-ranking generals to lead the country forward,
at least in the interim,
the protesters remain very consistent with their demand.
They seem willing to continue occupying the streets
until a civilian government is in power Sudan.