Sudan’s Military Coup Explained

Salma Abdalla and Liv Tønnessen (CMI) in conversation with Lovise Aalen (CMI)

Sudan’s military seized power on Monday 25 October, dissolving the transitional government after troops arrested Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. The coup represents a cynical power grab by a cadre of military officers desperate to preserve the army’s economic privileges and fearful of the accountability that genuine civilian governance will bring. Once again, the Sudanese people flooded the streets to protest the coup chanting for the return to civilian rule. Why did the military coup take place? And what are the prospects for democracy in Sudan now?