What’s Happening In Sudan And Why You Need to Know About It
Sudan has been trending all over the world. If you have noticed, people are sharing news and images regarding it. From Twitter to Instagram, news from Sudan has been viral everywhere. But why exactly? What is happening in this part of the world that has caught so much media attention?
Well, if you are still unaware then you might want to continue reading.
It all started from Omar al-Bashir
Before we go into the current situation a little context is important. Omar Bashir is a dictator who had been ruling Sudan for the past thirty years. In the last six months, the prices of food and furl hiked up and people were being stopped from taking money out. They angered the people of Sudan who started protesting for the cuts in bread and fuel. Soon these protestors demanded Omar al-Bashir to step down as he was not able to serve his people. Through military intervention, Omar stepped down this April.
After this decision, it was decided that Sudan would have a transitional government for two years led by the Transitional Military Council until a new leader is elected. His political network and the government were so entangled that it would take some time to completely dismantle Omar’s regime and start afresh.
Two-month long sit-in
Since this decision, there has been a two-month-long peaceful protest demanding a civilian rule. People had been gathering as they changed the time period from two years to nine months. The Sudanese people didn’t want this as this new election will “simply pave the way for much of the old regime to come back into power” according to the former British Ambassador. During this time, Alaa Salah became the face of the Sudanese revolution.
#IAmTheSudanRevolution Reposting this video from earlier days at the Khartoum sit-in. I literally have played it everyday since. There is something so undeniably profound watching everyone sing “I am Sundani, I am Afriki”. What a moment. They were peaceful and met with brutality. pic.twitter.com/75BZ3aAgcC
— bugz🥕 (@idkallthefeels) June 6, 2019
Things got ugly…
Everything was happening peacefully and there was no violence caused up until the last day of Ramadan when the military decided to tackle matters through brutality. The RSF – Rapid Support Forces – militia, also known as the Janjaweed violently attacked and shot demonstrators. The death toll has risen above a hundred and more than six hundred people have been injured. Civilians are being subjected to this mass torture. More than fifty bodies were found in the river Nile with blocks tied to them so they could drown. They are covering their acts by drowning their bodies in the water. Horrifying cases of rape have also surfaced and people are still being massacred mercilessly.
Death toll rises after Sudanese security forces forcefully cleared a protest camp in Khartoum.
Latest updates: https://t.co/Fu8TxXGSf8 pic.twitter.com/GyDnKeFeWd
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 3, 2019
There has been an internet blackout to keep the news from trending worldwide. However, people are trying their best to keep the updates going under the #IAmTheSudanRevolution hashtag.
Despite the Janjaweed still occupying the streets terrorising people.These young protesters are roaming the streets,stopping cars to inform civilians about the civil-disobedience taking place on Sunday.This is because with the internet blackout – the news hasn’t reached everyone! pic.twitter.com/aGTmx1DS4m
— Sarah Osama (@Sarahosamaa) June 6, 2019
The country is facing a shortage of medical supplies and is asking the world for help. If there is anything you can donate for this cause then you should. Raising awareness about it is equally important.
Please help us raise awareness and medical supplies for the peaceful protesters in Sudan. If you can afford to, there is a gofundme. If not it’s ok, any attempt to educate another on the ongoing atrocities would suffice. Thank you #IAmTheSudanRevolution https://t.co/quytZnSnBo
— Bas (@Bas) June 7, 2019
The world seems to be crying over a historical building being burnt but no one seems to bat an eye over the hundreds of lives being slaughtered. The price the people of Sudan have to pay for a better living is outrageous.
Sudan needs you.
