Omar Al Bashir’s 30-year autocratic rule has come to an end, marking the fall of one of the region’s longest-standing leaders and blowing open the future of a country ruled by a man whose aim was not to govern but to survive.
Protests began in December against the authoritarian Mr Al Bashir over growing disenfranchisement by the country’s young population living under an ailing economy. Many of the most active protesters were among the majority youth population who have never lived under any other leader.
A former military general, Mr Al Bashir seized power in a military-backed coup in 1989 and manage to consolidate power in the years following his seizure by cracking down on dissent. His own brand of rule mixed a strategy of divide and rule among close allies with his national “Islamic experiment” that saw him harbour and befriend religious extremists.
"When he came to power, he dissolved all the political parties, the trade unions and sacked anyone who wasn't a loyalist – over 120,000 civil servants. He created a structure whereby if you're not part of the Islamist movement, you didn't exist," Reem Abbas, a Khartoum-based journalist, told The National.
The initial purge allowed Mr Al Bashir to consolidate his rule, but it didn’t bring stability, says Murithi Mutiga, Deputy Project Director of the Horn of Africa at International Crisis Group.
“That initial wave of purges gave him space to rule for some time, but then Sudan continued to face multiple pressures – his management of the economy has always been characterised as inept, the bureaucracy is very tangled and slow,” he said. “Investment has been sclerotic, but very significantly Bashir opted to an armed response to the insurgency waged by South Sudan’s leaders. His calculation has proved to be not very wise.”
Mr Al Bashir waged wars against separatists in the country’s south between 1983 and 2005, until the region broke away in 2011 to become the world’s youngest nation. South Sudan took with it much of the country’s oil reserves, cutting Khartoum off from a vital source of income.
Internally, the president has pitted allies against each other and turned former-friend on friend to prevent any one faction with influence gaining enough support to remove him.
Through the 2000s he used oil-financed patronage to support or isolate anybody at a whim. This kept him in office and helped him survive numerous embryonic coups but ultimately might explain why few former allies appear to have publicly backed him as the army moved in to remove the president on Thursday.
“Given that this is a regime that survives primarily through patronage, it is a regime that spends approximately 70 per cent on its security forces, it is a regime built to survive not to govern adequately,” said Mr Mutiga. “This spelt the end of Bashir’s time at the helm."
The obsession with security spending also bred anger among people who saw little of the benefit from oil revenue through the 2000s.
"We saw very significant protests in 2013 and in 2009, but this is the most determined attempt we have seen... we see people protesting in big cities, small towns and it’s not limited to one certain group, but a large portion of the population," said Mr Mutiga.
Internationally, Mr Al Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes in Darfur. The allegations against Mr Al Bashir have left him with limited movement since the first ICC warrant was issued for his arrest in 2009. His charge sheet has been updated several times since with fresh allegations.
Under Mr Al Bashir, Sudan has had fraught relations with the West. The US designated the country a state sponsor of terrorism in 1993 when the country was hosting Al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden, it imposed sanctions on Khartoum and in 1998 the US fired cruise missiles against the Al Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan after alleging it was being used to make chemical weapons.
Khartoum’s response to the Darfur insurgency led to an extension of US sanctions under George W Bush in 2007 but co-operation on terrorism after the September 11 attacks did build some bridges.
Under the last US administration, talks began about removing sanctions and in 2017 the US lifted many of the restrictions.
Sudan in recent years has sought improved relations with is neighbours as well. Its influence in South Sudan saw it help broker a peace deal – albeit yet to be implemented – between rebel leader Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir.
With its northern neighbour, Egypt, it has also mended fences as Cairo seeks support in a dispute with Ethiopia over a Nile River dam.
Of particular concern in Cairo in recent years has been Khartoum’s relations with Iran and Qatar as well as support for Muslim Brotherhood groups and opponents of Egypt’s allies in Libya.
But under Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Cairo has reached out and bolstered ties.
Despite the diplomatic changes in recent years, many in Sudan are desperate for real change and an end to deteriorating living conditions. While they push for democratic transition, they will live through a two-year military-led transition. What that will bring and what Mr Al Bashir’s ultimate legacy will be is yet to be seen.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20Killer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EDavid%20Fincher%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Fassbender%2C%20Tilda%20Swinton%2C%20Charles%20Parnell%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Norway
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The%20specs
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JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
