The views expressed herein represent the views of a majority of the members of the Caravel’s Editorial Board and are not reflective of the position of any individual member, the newsroom staff, or Georgetown University.

Sudanese protesters toppled the government of President Omar al-Bashir after 30 years of misrule.

Amid the clamoring protest movements around the world that in many ways defined 2019, the Caravel Editorial Board is excited to select its second Country of the Year. We award Country of the Year to the country that made the greatest strides in advancing openness, human rights, development, inclusivity, and peace. In 2018, we recognized Ethiopia with our inaugural honor for then-newly elected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s efforts to achieve gender parity, respect human rights and political dissent, end a longstanding conflict with neighboring Eritrea, and enter a new era for the historically troubled country. For 2019, this editorial board returns to Africa to recognize the incredible progress made in Sudan.

Honorable Mention: Hong Kong

The first mass-demonstration of Hong Kong’s tumultuous 2019 brought thousands to the streets on March 31 in protest of a proposed extradition law amendment. Critics say that this law would open Hong Kong’s independent judiciary to political meddling from Beijing and its people to retaliation from a retributive mainland. The protests snowballed in the first week of June, drawing more than half a million people and at times turning violent. Fierce protests forced Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to suspend the bill and, in September, formally withdraw it from consideration. However, these efforts did little to assuage the concerns of protesters that Lam’s indirectly elected government is a tool of China. In November, Hong Kong’s populace delivered a stinging rebuke to Lam and Beijing by electing pro-democracy candidates to a record-shattering majority in municipal councils. The persistence of the Hong Kong protesters in 2019 starkly contrasts with the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement of 2014, which quickly fizzled after protesters lost public support. Hong Kong’s steadfast defense of democracy and political freedom in the face of a rigid establishment and an encroaching China made it a strong contender for the Caravel Editorial Board’s 2019 Country of the Year.

Protesters filled the streets of Hong Kong beginning in spring to contest China’s efforts to extend its influence to the judicial system of the ostensibly autonomous city-state.

Honorable Mention: Portugal

Bucking the global trend of emboldened far right movements and rising populism, Portugal represents a beacon of stability in Europe. Despite the election of a sole member of Parliament from a far-right party in October, the current government, led by Prime Minister António Costa and his Socialist Party, won reelection in October after a term of stable, solid leadership. In the past year, Costa’s government brought an end to the country’s decade-old austerity measures, effectively concluding its cycle of recovery. The 2019 deficit was nearly neutral, and estimates show that, in 2020, the country will witness its first fiscal surplus in more than 40 years. GDP growth has been stable and positive over the past years, in large part due to the country’s presented stability, as well as growth in its investment, technology, and tourism sectors. In light of Portugal’s improving economy and qualified government, the Standard & Poor’s index upgraded Portugal’s credit rating. Its consistency, stability, positive progress, and lack of the dangerous patterns of nationalism visible in other European countries made Portugal a strong contender for the Caravel Editorial Board’s 2019 Country of the Year.

Prime Minister António Costa’s Socialist Party won reelection in October.

2019 Country of the Year: Sudan

Overthrowing Al-Bashir

Following four months of mass protests on the streets of Sudan, the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir on April 11, marking a historic end to his nearly 30 years in power. Al-Bashir’s rule was scarred by conflict and controversy. The International Court of Justice charged al-Bashir with genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes for his alleged involvement in the Darfur conflict in western Sudan. The conflict has killed over 300,000 people and displaced millions more.

President Omar al-Bashir is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The protests that brought down al-Bashir were mainly driven by the Sudanese Professional Association, a civil society group of trade unions for doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, and other professionals. The group was established in 2012 and operated mostly in secret to avoid arrest.

The Transitional Military Council (TMC) took over immediately after al-Bashir was ousted. The military junta was led initially by Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf, who resigned almost immediately. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan took over as the TMC head, but Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan (known as Hemeti)—a leader of a militia accused of genocidal acts in Darfur—was mainly in control. Talks between the TMC and the opposition commenced but were quickly halted on June 3 when TMC security forces killed 128 people in Khartoum. Opposition groups reacted with a three-day strike from June 9 to June 11.

On-and-off negotiations in June and July finally led to the historic Political Agreement, signed in July 2019 by the TMC and the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), a group representing the protestors. The deal included a power-sharing provision for the TMC and FFC until elections in 2022. The Sovereignty Council was formed on August 20, with Abdalla Hamdok appointed as prime minister at the head of a predominantly civilian cabinet.

With a background in economics, Hamdok set his priority on economic recovery and building peace. He stated after his swearing-in ceremony, saying, "We will have a plan that will address the immediate challenges through our recovery program, addressing the felt need by the people: issues of inflation, availability of commodities, wheat, fuel, medicine and all that."

Empowering Women

As one of his first reforms in office, Hamdok repealed the Public Order Act of 1992 which was largely used to restrict womens’ freedom of movement, clothing, and more. The action received international approval as human rights groups such as Amnesty International called the move “a step forward for women’s rights.”

Women played a significant role in the protests that eventually overthrew al-Bashir. As Hamdok stated, “the first thing we did when we started putting together the transitional government structures—we had in mind that our women should be represented not because we are giving them a gift or handout—because it is a just and well-deserved representation. They were part of this change.” He called the repealed laws “dehumanizing” and said that “the sky is the limit for our ambition in observing the human rights of our people.”

On the Road to Normalizing Relations

After Hamdok landed in Washington, D.C., on December 4, 2019, for his inaugural visit (and the first visit to the U.S. from a Sudanese leader in over three decades), the countries announced that they would exchange ambassadors for the first time in 23 years.

However, Hamdok’s top priority is convincing the U.S. to remove Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The U.S. added Sudan to the list in 1993 in response to Sudan’s alleged support for terrorist organizations under al-Bashir. Hamdok hoped to reverse this decision by showcasing Sudan’s progress from a dictatorship to a fledgling democracy, but the U.S. has yet to make any decisions.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok visited the U.S. to seek economic concessions for Sudan.

Nevertheless, the decision to exchange ambassadors represents “a meaningful step forward in strengthening the U.S.-Sudan bilateral relationship,” according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Being removed from the list of state sponsors of terror would kick-start Sudan’s economic revival and hopefully cut down corruption. Removing current sanctions on Sudan would reintegrate the country into the global economy, permitting access to International Monetary Fund and World Bank debt relief programs and investments.

According to a State Department official, Hamdok’s new government “has shown a commitment so far. We are going to keep testing that commitment.”

Looking to 2020

From overthrowing a dictator to achieving significant social and political reforms, Sudan has made significant progress in 2019. By the end of the year, al-Bashir had been convicted on corruption charges and humanitarian groups had gained unimpeded access to certain populations for the first time in nearly a decade.

However, it continues to struggle with economic underdevelopment and human rights abuses. Peace talks with Sudan’s many armed groups must take place during the transition to civilian rule, and internationally-supported economic reforms are necessary to address corruption and revive the country’s economy. All in all, this editorial board hopes that Sudan can continue on a path toward ever more stable democracy and consistent economic growth.

Have a different opinion? Write a letter to the editor and submit it via this form to be considered for publication on our website!