The New York TimesThe New York Times

How U.S. efforts to guide Sudan to democracy ended in war

By Edward Wong, Michael Crowley and Declan Walsh

04 May 2023 · 7 min read

Editor's Note

The U.S. miscalculated how difficult it would be to introduce democracy in Sudan, and may have prioritized working with the military over civilian leaders, The NYT writes.

WASHINGTON — Just weeks ago, U.S. diplomats thought Sudan was on the verge of a breakthrough agreement that would advance its transition from military dictatorship to full-fledged democracy, delivering on the soaring promise of the country’s revolution in 2019.

Sudan had become an important test case in President Joe Biden’s core foreign policy goal of bolstering democracies worldwide, which in his view weakens corrupt leaders and allows nations to more capably stand as bulwarks against the influences of China, Russia and other autocratic powers.

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