Journal Article

Fuel for Change? Oil subsidy riots on Sudanese governance

PURI, INDIRA

2014

Overview

The September 2013 protests in Khartoum in response to the lift in oil subsidies have been both widespread and violent. Given the widespread impact of these protests, given the repeated chant for an 'overthrow of the regime,' and these protests' similarity to those that deposed current Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir's predecessor Nimeiri and his political party in September 1986, many in the international community have begun to wonder whether Sudan is headed toward a shift in power away from Bashir and the National Congress Party that has ruled the country for the last twenty-four years. But even supposing protests were to continue in strength, number, and amount of violence, it still seems unlikely that any major regime change will occur because of the government's overwhelming advantage against citizens when it comes to force. Since none of the underlying reasons for a drop in protests is likely to go away particularly soon, you can expect Sudan to maintain its current political regime.

• Publisher: Harvard International Relations Council, Inc,Harvard International Relations Council
• Subject: Al-Bashir, Omar Hassan / Company pricing policy / Decision-making / Demonstrations & protests / Demonstrations and protests / Economic uncertainty / Energy policy / Evaluation / Fossil fuel subsidies / Fuel / Fuels / GLOBAL NOTEBOOK / Governance / Government and politics / Government subsidies / International community / Nationalist movements / Oil / Oil pipelines / Petroleum / Petroleum industry / Pipelines / Political issue / Political leadership / Political parties / Political protest / Political protests / Politics / Prices and rates / Regulation / Riots / Sharing economy / Subsidies / Sudan / Sudanese / Violence