ABSTRACT
Decades of marginalisation and infantilisation by a patriarchal and repressive regime under Omar al-Bashir undermined the relationship between women, youth and the state in Sudan. The elites instrumentalised the relationship with some youth and women by developing a clientelistic relationship, with the latter seeking access to the largesse of the elites by openly supporting their agenda. However, the experience of the Arab Spring and the collapse of powerful regimes in the Middle East and North Africa stimulated socio-political consciousness among especially young people in Sudan. This chapter examines the emergence of social movements in Sudan, the reaction of the state and its security actors, the factors that enabled the success of the 2019 revolution and the lessons that were learned from the Sudanese experience. The chapter also critically analyses the factors that influenced the 25 October 2021 military coup and the consequences for the transition process that had ensued in post al-Bashir Sudan.
