COMMENT: It is no surprise that people are protesting in Sudan. Having long failed to establish an inclusive and stable political system, al-Bashir’s government has now presided over a prolonged economic crisis.
I don’t normally write about Sudan. But now I have to. For the last few weeks, friends and democracy activists from the country have been sending me pictures of the men, women and children that have died in the protests against President Omar al-Bashir’s failing regime.
Currency instability has further undermined economic confidence, with the Sudanese pound was devalued multiple times in 2018. Intermittent shortages of fuel and food have pushed up prices, while the decision to remove bread subsidies in January 2018 inspired hundreds of protesters to take to the streets after the price doubled.
The response of the al-Bashir regime was sadly predictable. Instead of opening talks or finding ways to ease the people’s suffering, the government deployed the security forces to crack down on the protesters. According to Amnesty International, 37 people were killed in first five days of demonstrations alone, while thousands have been arrested.
But while further centralising power in his own hands might prevent the president from being toppled in the short-run, it also makes it impossible to resolve the country’s economic, social and political problems. Political stability can only be achieved through a more inclusive political settlement that recognises some of the protesters concerns.
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