Event

Friday Lecture: ‘Explaining Sudan’s Catastrophe: From Popular Revolution to Coup, War and Famine’ – Prof Sharath Srinivasan

Our Centre Co-Director Sharath will discuss Sudan’s descent into a devastating conflict, now recognised as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The war has forced over 11 million people from their homes, with civilians, particularly women, being targeted in widespread violence. It has also triggered a hunger crisis affecting more than 24 million people, including over 630,000 currently facing famine. How did Sudan, following a momentous civilian uprising in 2018-19 that toppled dictator Omer el-Bashir after 30 years of authoritarian rule, end up in this situation? Understanding the causes and events that led to this tragedy begins with the role of counter-revolutionary elements within the state, who exploited the priorities of external peacemakers pushing for a democratic transition. These actors displaced revolutionary forces before orchestrating a coup against the very transition they had once supported. The conflict erupted when the counter-revolution itself collapsed, as the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces violently clashed in a fight for power. With complex regional and geopolitical factors at play, and involving other armed groups within Sudan, the war has been marked by both callous indifference and deliberate harm to civilians. Yet, despite this brutality, the revolutionary spirit of the Sudanese people endures, with neighbourhood resistance committees evolving into ‘emergency response rooms’ to provide life-saving aid. Sudan’s future remains uncertain, shaped by these intersecting forces and struggles.

Chair: Dr Juliana Santos de Carvalho, Centre Fellow

The talk can also be followed online, in which case please register here.