Senate Sudan-ly a coup in North Africa

You thought the days of Vivec making a world news thread with a punny title were over, but you're sadly quite mistaken!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018–19_Sudanese_protests

So, the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, who was basically a "president for life" kinda dictator, had been dealing with mass protests over the last year. This was due to costs increasing while wages decreasing, among other things, austerity, and poverty, among other things. These protests came to a head when the military, on April 11, did a coup d'etat and removed him from power.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Sudanese_coup_d'état

They dissolved the cabinet and the legislature and put in a state of emergency. The VP, Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, was made the new head of the government, who is supposed to lead a transitional period of two years to democracy. However, protesters continued to protesting, this time against the new ruling military council. This has lead to the VP stepping down.



What's going to happen next. Will protests continue? Will the military cede power in two years?

 

It's almost as though the protesters know what happened to their northern neighbor when people had faith in the military to lead a transition to democracy.

 

This whole thing saddens me. South Sudan is still a work in progress. Now this.

I do wonder how our old friend thinks about all this. He was one if the Lost Boys of Sudan. I recommend looking up that subject to know more. He was apart of the ones that came over here to America.

 

This pun title is even better if you speak French, because French for suddenly is "tout en coup".

Also, evidently the coup military leader has stepped down per BBC and is handing the reigns to some other military leader. We'll see how that goes.

 

I don't qualify this as coup, Members of the same ruling kleptocracy cannibalizing one another so that they can retain power is just transparently cynical. Unfortunately, I'm not so sure it's desperate. Though the active protest movement won't be lulled by these moves, the Sudanese military of this era has proved more willing than those in times past to wield force against civilians, and their advantage is considerable.

 

Nothing will change.

 

So, erm, yeah.

 

Who would have imagined that giving more and more power to the Darfur war crimes guy that turned on the previous President might lead to future problems.

 

I'm sure without checking that none of the superpowers are in any way involved

 

I was groaning at this thread title and then I saw who posted it...yeah.

 

Which one? al-Burhan and Hemedti were both complicit in war crimes during the war. Not to mention, the civilian government (what remains of it) was not in much of a position to deny their increasing power.

And… it was never going to be as simple as transitioning to democracy. Not coming off the hills of the war and genocide. Unfortunately, Sudan is in the trap right now of a country that needs to heal, transition to democracy, yet is ran by incredibly corrupt and brutal barbarian leaders.

 

Oh, I wouldn’t blame the civilians in a thousand years. I was referring to Hemedeti, though, as a Janjaweed senior officer. I guess the blame there goes back to Bashir? Once you regularize and reinforce a private military force like that, it’s increasingly hard to stop them if they decide to go their own way.

 

Bashir empowered them and gave them legitimacy; a marauding band of genocidal outlaws were incorporated into the mainstream army and… oh no, years later, their ranks have grown because toxicity spreads.

*rubs temples*

Then add to the fact that once the coup succeeded, the idea that al-Burhan or Hemedti would ever relinquish control of the military to civilians and risk being convicted of war crimes was ludicrous.

This current war, and I’m not 100% up to date on everything so I won’t comment too in depth right now, feels like one of them trying to defeat the other so they can turn that one in, assume control over the entire military, and trade the loser for political capital.

 

Well, doing a bit of research, and it's certainly a circle of hungry thieves with their shadows firmly behind the conflict - from local powers (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia) to bigger ones (US, Russia, China) all with their own agendas.

I'd go on a bit about it, but I have to make an early morning drive to the airport.

 

—

 

I don’t know about the actual effect of outside influence from the US, Russia, and China on the internal strife of Sudan. Specifically on this ongoing conflict.

It seems more like a regional influence issue as far as the neighboring governments supporting the military leadership in their denial to transfer control over to the civilian government. From an Egyptian standpoint, it makes sense due to the water concerns of the Nile. Doesn’t make it right.

Two militaries battling over which one will rule autocratically is the worst part of this situation. The outcome will not be good for Sudan nor it’s neighboring countries where the refugees are fleeing to because military governments are not known for their humanitarian austerity.

 

I mean' that's the main part of it, right? The revolution has been rolling since 2018. From my understanding the current crisis has nothing to do with the civilian government or protest movement. This is purely about the vultures in the armed forces tearing the country apart like a carcass between the two of them.

 

I mean, I don't what to tell you - try to find out, maybe?

 

My apologies: I didn’t mean “I don’t know” as in I’m not familiar with the parties or situations; I was saying I’m not sure of the validity of the statement you’re making about the US, China, and Russia.

You seemed to be implying you had more to say on it.

 

72 hours ceasefire declared by both sides, but appears to be mostly to allow evacuation of civilians rather than working towards peace. We'll see.

I do, when I have the time. But I haven't seen anything to indicate saying that they don't have any influence or stake in Sudan from you, so I guess I'm not seeing the validity of your statement either? YMMV. <shrug>

 

I know South Korea for instance just sent a detachment of about 50 soldiers to go rescue about 20 Korean citizens stuck there.

While this sort of thing is good and all, definitely (hell my best friend was evacuated from Cairo during the Arab Spring, as she was a uni student there at the time... So I totally appreciate the fear of family and friends who have loved ones there)... It's also a thing where everyone is totally gonna be like "welp, we got all the X citizens out. Time let the locals burn", isn't it?