• Date: 20 October 2021
• Time: 14:00 - 15:00 (UTC+1)
• Co-hosts: Menas Associates and Alaco
• Speakers: Kholood Khair and Stuart Culverhouse

Since the 2018 Revolution that unseated Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year dictatorship, Sudan has been at pains to demonstrate that it is, once again, returning to the international fold. So far this has included: normalisation of relations with Israel; removal from the US’ State Sponsor of Terror list; the implementation of an IMF-led Staff Monitored Programme to get Sudan ready for debt relief; and the multi-stage nationwide peace process.

The jubilation from deposing al-Bashir led to unprecedented international support but very limited FDI. Difficulties include: the fear of sanctions blowback; the failure of previous post-dictatorship transitional periods; multiple armed groups which has made it difficult to implement the peace agreement; potential conflict on the border with Ethiopia; and the continuing domestic imbalance of power between Sudan’s military and civilian leadership.

Sudan currently stands at a crossroads: consolidating revolutionary dividends and moving forth with consensus-driven politics, or waiting for history to repeat itself. Despite the challenges, it has many opportunities for transformative change: inflation has started to decline; former security-owned enterprises are entering the official market, with greater civilian oversight; greater political pressure for security sector reform; and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s recently launched reform initiative which could kickstart the sluggish political system.

The briefing will analyse:

• Domestic politics
• Foreign relations
• Security actors and arrangements
• Economy

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