The U.S. Must Raise the Stakes for Sudan’s Coup Leaders

The U.S. Must Raise the Stakes for Sudan’s Coup Leaders
People chant slogans during a protest to denounce the October 2021 military coup, Khartoum, Sudan, Jan. 2, 2022 (AP photo by Marwan Ali).

The United States is currently faced with multiple international crises that are occupying much of Washington’s attention, but it should not lose sight of events in Sudan. Since last October’s military coup, millions of people across the country have taken to the streets week after week to show their determination to get Sudan back on the path toward democracy. The U.S. reacted swiftly after the military takeover with words of support for a return to civilian rule and blocks on bilateral aid to the coup regime. But these necessary steps have not changed the calculations of Sudan’s military leaders, and the country is now in a dangerous period of drift, repression and violence.

U.S. diplomacy should now go further in coordinating with its partners and making clear to Sudan’s generals that they will face serious consequences unless they are able to come together with civilian leaders to put the country back on a credible transitional path.

There is still hope for a new Sudan. The protesters’ persistence in the face of a brutal crackdown by security forces shows that military takeovers are not so readily accepted, and civilians refuse to take a back seat. Today’s Sudan has one of the youngest populations in the world, and the current generation appears ready to continue its fight for a just transition to democracy.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review