The Coup In Sudan - One Year Anniversary
Friends and supporters,
Today marks the first anniversary of the coup in Sudan. As expected, countless protesters are in the streets demanding their country back from the illegitimate junta.
Internet monitoring group Netblocks has confirmed the regime is blocking internet access across Sudan. Reuters reporters in Khartoum witnessed protesters burning tires and chanting "power belongs to the people, the military belongs in the barracks," even as security forces fired heavy tear gas into unarmed and peaceful crowds.
This difficult milestone comes amidst a particularly brutal few weeks across Sudan. Conservative estimates put the number of protesters seriously wounded since the coup at over 7,000 people. But it is marginalized Sudanese in the long oppressed hinterlands who continue to suffer the most under a dangerous mix of severe regime violence and aggressive governmental incompetence.
Recent fighting in Blue Nile state has consumed the state capital and several more communities, killing over 250 people and leaving thousands more homeless. In Abyei, outbreaks of political violence have tripled since last year alone. Regime-backed attacks on defenseless civilians in Darfur has surged this year. And violence by regime-backed Misseriya tribes against Nuba communities in West Kordofan recently became so severe that it prompted a temporary and dangerous ceasefire collapse between the regime and the usually restrained Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North. (Note: Operation Broken Silence works in the Nuba Mountains nearby, which is controlled by the SPLM-N.)
Sudanese demonstrators attend a rally to demand the return to civilian rule nearly a year after a military coup led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
The big picture results? The economy is in tatters, more Sudanese are under threat of direct violence today than they were a year ago, and a third of the country’s children cannot even attend school. Sudan is backsliding. The generals in Khartoum do little more than fuel conflict across the country and between themselves as they jockey for power. One is forced to conclude that these self-proclaimed “guardians of the revolution” are and will continue to be a catastrophic failure in every way imaginable.
This time last year we asked the obvious question: how many more must die before Sudan is truly free? This question remains unanswered today, and it is entirely the fault of a regime that chooses to remain in power daily. It is ordinary Sudanese who will continue paying the ultimate price and bearing the most devastating consequences of that decision.
The crises in Sudan are perhaps more complicated than ever before. Oddly, there is perhaps more clarity now as well. The military heads of the security forces have not only proven they have no skill to govern, but also that they can never be trusted again. The generals may believe the Sudanese people are their worst enemy; but, in reality, all they have to do is look in the mirror to see who the true enemy is.
With this clarity comes hope. One year after the coup, the courage of the Sudanese people remains unfazed. They never stopped protesting. Their voices are relentless in the face of a monster. They are proof that a different Sudan is possible in our lifetime. And it falls to us to deliver the support they need to reach their aspirations.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working next to our Sudanese partners on the ground for over a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why empowering local solutions in the oppressed Nuba Mountains region is our top priority.
Building clean water infrastructure goes beyond ensuring basic health needs. Clean water improves security by keeping people closer to the safety of their communities. It empowers women by putting time back into their day. And clean water means children can go to school instead of spending hours searching for dirty water.
We’re taking on this water project because we listened to the people living here and because no one else will serve them. The fastest way to help is to make a quick one-time donation online or setup a monthly gift.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give! These last few months of the year are the perfect time to fundraise.
Join The Renewal, our monthly giving family that never stops fighting for change.
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Water in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900
This has not been an easy year, but a major source of encouragement for me has been watching our Sudanese friends strive for a better future against the resurgence of a genocidal regime.
What they are fighting for is remarkable, but their efforts remain under severe threat. Let’s each play our small part in helping to give our Sudanese friends the best chance for real, lasting change.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
