The U.S. and world were naive about Sudan leaders’ commitment to democracy

By Daniel DePetris

When Sudanese strongman Omar al-Bashir was removed from power in 2019 after a 30-year reign, a ray of hope emerged for the millions of people on the streets who spent months risking their lives for a new political order. While very few thought democratic governance would flourish in Sudan quickly or easily, the feeling on the ground was one of possibility — after three decades of economic mismanagement, U.S. sanctions and diplomatic isolation from the West, Africa’s third-largest country was on the cusp of a new era.

This piece was originally published in The Chicago Tribune on May 2, 2023. Read more HERE.