The Crisis in Sudan, Explained

Protesters outside military headquarters in Khartoum. M. Saleh/ Wikimedia Commons

Sudan is at a crossroads. In April, popular protests in Khartoum lead to the ouster of the country's longtime ruler, Omar al Bashir. He was toppled in a coup by military leaders.  But the peaceful protests did not stop. Rather, the protesters held their ground and rallied outside the headquarters of the military junta demanding that civilians -- not the military  -- lead the transition to democracy.

The standoff between the military council and civilian protesters held firm until early June, when a paramilitary group known as the Rapid support forces, or RSF, attacked the protesters, killing over 100. The protests were dispersed and a general strike ensued.

On the line with me to discuss the situation in Sudan is Zachariah Cherian Mampilly, a professor of political science at Vassar College. We last spoke in early January, just as the protest movement was beginning to pick up steam. That is where we pick up…