Sudan’s chaotic status quo

After the government was dissolved by the military this Monday, Sudan has descended into wide-spread chaos. After decades of military rule, and an uneasy alliance by the military and civilian groups since 2019, people were hopeful of transitioning to a peaceful, democratic civilian government. Sudan’s military has proved that these hopes and have been futile.

Behind the takeover is Sudan’s top general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He has blamed instability and political infighting and deemed it a necessary action on part of the military. His troops went into the homes of political figures, detaining them, but this didn’t lead to casualties. The Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok, was amongst the detained.

General al-Burhan has served as the head of state for the past two years. He was supposed to transition control from the council to a civilian leader in a couple of weeks. Instead of doing that, he dissolved the council, and has subsequently stated that there would be elections held in July 2023.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Khartoum and other major cities, partaking in massive demonstrations, demanding civilian rule. At least 8 people have been killed in clashes between protestors and soldiers, and at least 140 have been wounded.

The coup has been condemned by the international community, with the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the European Union speaking strongly against it. US aid has been completely halted for the time being.