Where the mayhem all began
Civil unrest in Sudan began in December 2018, according to the BBC, when President Bashir introduced extreme measures to prevent economic collapse. Food shortages and fuel duties led to mass uproar and protest in the East, which eventually spread to the capital city Khartoum. Protesters demanded the impeachment of President Bashir, who has reigned for 30 years. The demonstration eventually led to the president being overthrown by a council of generals on April 11 and the country has continued to endure political duress ever since.
The Transitional Military Council (TMC), a body of seven, insists on taking charge to prevent further unrest but the military is a fragmented body, with some factions under the influence of radical parliamentary bodies and Islamist militias. The army has faced global censure for attacking protestors on June 3 and leaving a death toll of at least 30 citizens. According to France 24, the mass murder has been labelled “the Ramadan massacre,” having taken place in the holiest and most peaceful period of the Islamic calendar.
The TMC responded to international (particularly British and American statements condemning their actions) saying that the operation had taken place to eliminate “trouble makers and petty criminals”. With this callous disregard for life, homicides and rapes have been rampant throughout the sites of protest.
Sudan’s current state
Representatives of the protesters took part in negotiating talks with the TMC to determine who would take control following President Bashir’s impeachment but all progressive discussions collapsed on June 3 after the Ramadan massacre.
The TMC allegedly said that it had severed all ties with the opposition and that elections would ensue in roughly nine months but protesters urged the TMC for a three-year development period that would ensure a corruption-free election. The country essentially came to a standstill as a result of the opposition strikes. Ethiopian diplomats were taken to Sudan to intervene by encouraging peace talks between the two parties.