The World Briefly

December 22, 2022

Coming Clean

Sudan

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Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir took “full responsibility” for the 1989 coup in proceedings that are part of a trial relating to the takeover that brought the now-ousted leader to power, the Associated Press reported.

The autocratic president made his admission in televised testimony during court proceedings relating to the overthrow of the former elected government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.

Al-Bashir added that other non-military factions were involved in the coup.

His testimony comes amid reports that the aging former leader is experiencing health problems.

Al-Bashir was ousted in April 2019 following popular protests and has been imprisoned on corruption charges ever since.

During his three-decade rule, he brutally suppressed dissent and monopolized the economy through his allies. He also oversaw the violent crackdown of a rebellion in Sudan’s western Darfur region in the early 2000s that saw the deaths of around 300,000 people.

The former president remains wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide related to the Darfur conflict.

His government also hosted Osama bin Laden in the years leading up to the formation of al Qaeda, putting Sudan on the US list of countries supporting terrorism.

But even after his removal, Sudan remains mired in a political crisis as the country’s efforts to transition to democracy failed last year following another military coup.

Earlier this month, the military and one of the country’s main democracy groups signed a framework deal to install a new civilian government and remove the military from power.

Even so, the deal only provides an outline of how the country will restart its democratic transition and many political groups have rejected the agreement.

This story originally appeared in the December 22, 2022 newsletter, Nowhere To Go But Up.