One of the poorest countries in the world is plunged into a serious political and economic crisis.
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After the dismissal of Sudanese President General Omar al-Bashir on April 11, 2019, the Sudanese hoped for the establishment of a civilian power. The transition to democracy is not taking place as planned. Since the coup d’etat of October 25, 2021, Sudan has been going through a serious crisis which risks leading it to collapse.
After thirty years of dictatorship, the Sudanese find themselves again under military authority. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane ended the transition by sacking the civilians who shared power with him under a fragile agreement. The former head of the Army has instituted a state of emergency and is constantly repressing demonstrators who demand democracy.
Since the end of October 2021, more than 90 people have been killed and hundreds more injured by law enforcement. Nearly 1,000 people have been arrested, according to UN estimates. The stranglehold on the country is also illustrated by the series of dismissals in companies, the media and universities.
The coup plunged the country back into political and economic crisis. Sudan, briefly emerging from decades of embargo, is again isolated. Khartoum has lost all international aid which represents nearly half of its budget. The Sudanese currency is in free fall and inflation exceeds 250%. Bread, electricity, gasoline… prices have skyrocketed since last October.
In this context, nearly one in two Sudanese will be food insecure by the end of 2022, according to UN estimates. The permanent UN envoy to Khartoum, Volker Perthes, warned of “an economic and security collapse“unless civil transition is restored.
His statement displeased the army, who accused him of “interference in Sudanese affairs” and threatened him with deportation.