Protests on 19 December over bread prices and economic hardship mushroomed into a national movement calling for the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir.
After a bloodless coup in 1989, al-Bashir ruled Sudan for longer than any leader in the country’s history. He kept his grip on power by maintaining divisions and ethnic conflicts, intimidation, arrests, torture, and executions.
The demonstrations unfolded into an ongoing national movement that led to the overthrow of al-Bashir. The military and civil movement have since been locked in a struggle for power, which has led to further protest and widespread violence.[1]
[1] BBC News, ‘Sudan crisis: What you need to know’, 16 August 2019, available at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-48511226