Hey guys – serious topic. Sudan & the violence going on there now:
KEY PLAYERS:
Bashir – The President of Sudan for the past 26 years
TMC – Transitional Military Counsel
Alliance for Freedom and Change – a civilian group attempting to come to agreements with the transitional government
BACK STORY:
Unfortunately, Sudan has a long history of instability, stemming from corruption in the government and military. Since it became independent in 1956, there have been several coups/ civil wars, eventually ending with a horrific genocide (specifically in the western region of Sudan called Darfur) in the early 2000s where the Muslim government attempted to kill all non-Muslim citizens. The United Nations estimates the death toll was about 300,000 and this event obviously left countless others scarred both physically and emotionally.
The population was also ravaged by famine prior to the height of the genocide, producing this well-known image (below) by photo-journalist Kevin Carter. He won the Pulitzer prize for it in 1993 but committed suicide in 1994 after many questioned why he opted to take the photo, rather than help the dying child. While journalists are specifically required NOT to intervene in foreign conflict, many question the ethics of following that rule when faced with a situation like this one.
Anyway, what you need to know is just that Sudan has turbulent history with a lot of violence and lack of stability. Conflict has most often existed between the government/military and “rebels.” Rebels are advocating for freedom, democracy, transparency, and fairness. The government is defending its own actions and most likely covering up corruption in an attempt to save itself.
The leader during the genocide, President Bashir, has been in power for almost 30 years through famine, the genocide, and the current tragedies. So, it’s pretty safe to assume this dude is involved with the chaos, if not actively leading it.
HOW THE VIOLENCE BEGAN:
So this time around, it’s pretty much Bashir vs. the rebels once again. The people have had enough of him. In April, they marched down to the square in front of the military headquarters and demanded he be overthrown. Welp, they got their wish! The military took Bashir down, it’s about time! A counsel of generals (named TMC or Transitional Military Counsel) then took power on April 11th… But the protestors stuck around to make sure things went according to plan and HERE’S where shit gets murky. The TMC and civilians cannot agree on how the transition should be run. The people want the obvious: safety, Democracy, and some time to clear out all of Bashir’s cohorts. Well, the TMC initially agreed to this and then on June 3rd, announced that they were scrapping all of this and holding elections in 9 months. The people, feel this is NOT acceptable and a much longer period of time is required to transition into an honest Democracy… More like 3 years. And thus, the civil disobedience/ “strike” began and people took to the streets. The military then responded violently which lead to over 100 deaths, 19 of which were children. Countless rapes have also occurred as the deliberately tries to punish the female protestors. One female protestor has emerged as a leader who many are calling, “Kandaka” or “the Queen.” Her outfit was inspired by what today’s protestors’ mothers and grandmothers wore during the marches against dictatorship in past decades. You can watch a video of her below!
WHAT’S GOING ON NOW:
So now things are in a standstill – who will blink first? The TMC or the “rebels”? Right now, the economy in Sudan is at a COMPLETE standstill as everyone is taking to the streets to protest. No stores or shops are open at all. There is also a widespread “media blackout” where they are not allowing foreign media into the country so the only way to really spread the word is through social media. Right now, there has been a call for everyone to wear blue and use the hashtag #blueforsudan in support of the people’s rebellion.
LOOKING FORWARD:
We can only hope that the people have the strength to hold out until the military does the right thing and that things to not remain at this same level of violence. The FASTEST way to see positive change would be for the United States government to take a stand and put pressure on our allies and the UN to do the same. If the world could rally around the people of Sudan, we could topple this corrupt regime once and for all!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
There’s a bunch you can do to help so don’t feel overwhelmed! Here are the best options:
- DONATE
There are TONS of organizations you can donate to right now helping in Sudan but I am a BIG fan of UNICEF. All donations to them are 100% tax deductible and are extremely secure! When you donate to UNICEF you know your money is going to the right place.
- CALL YOUR REPS
I know this crisis feels so far away its hard to imagine how our Congressmen and women could really make a difference. But the thing is, our government is so important in leading the global community that once all of Sudan’s surrounding nations see we are pissed, they’ll have pressure to get pissed too. That’s the ONLY way to topple this corrupt military regime.
Here’s a number you can call to get connected to the right office for you:
(202) 224-3121
Just give it a call, ask for a rep from your state, and let them know you really care about what’s going on in Sudan and you’d like the rep to encourage President Trump to act on behalf of the Sudanese people.
- SPREAD THE WORD
If you have social media, you have a voice! USE IT! Get on your favorite platform and share the link to this post so other people can educate themselves on this topic. Wear blue in a photo and use the hashtag #blueforSudan to let people know you care about this issue.
We need to remind Sudan that they’re not alone and support their bid for Democracy. If you take some action, be sure to let us know in the comments – we love to hear ALL the success stories!
x Antigone
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