Undoing a Revolution: Sudan and the Politics of Debt - Paperback

by Harry Cross (Author)

In 2019, a people's revolution ended the thirty-year reign of Sudan's military president Umar al-Bashir. A transitional government took power, led by esteemed international economist Abdalla Hamdok and promising a return to civilian rule. But Sudan's new government quickly imposed a shock therapy program of cuts, privatizations and devaluation, following the diktat of foreign lenders. In 2021, as Sudan grew poorer, the army seized on popular discontent to launch a coup, burying hopes for a democratic transition. But why did Sudan's first civilian government in more than a quarter-century bend to the will of creditors at this crucial moment in the country's history? The answer lies in an unwieldy and unpayable debt burden that has long constricted Sudanese politics and society.

Author Biography

Harry Cross specializes in the economic and financial systems of contemporary Sudan. He has taught at Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University in Saudi Arabia, and the University of Liverpool. Currently working on the response to Sudan's civil war for the research charity Impact, he holds a doctorate from Durham University.