Deadly Sudan protests

This item appears on page 55 of the February 2019 issue.

Antigovernment protests became violent in Sudan in December, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 people, with reports that as many as 37 people may have been killed. The protests began on Dec. 19 after the government announced an increase in the cost of bread and fuel, and they eventually morphed to include calls for the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, to resign. Al-Bashir has been in power for 29 years.

The protests occurred throughout the nation, including in the cities Port Sudan and Atbara as well as in the capital, Khartoum. There were reports that, in some places, security forces joined with the protesters. Due to ongoing protests, the Sudanese government declared a state of emergency and imposed a nationwide curfew.