MIT's Mai Hassan Sheds Light on Ongoing Conflict in Sudan

Three years and nine days after Sudan’s civil war ignited on April 12, 2023, the Belmont Hill community spent a morning learning about the ongoing conflict, its key players, and its personal impact on students with ties to the region. Yusuf Ibrahim ‘25 and Babikir Saeed ‘26 opened Chapel with family photos from Sudan as well as images of their families’ hometowns and homes. Yusuf shared a satellite photo which showed that the Nile River bridge he would cross from the capital city Khartoum to neighboring Omdurman (where his grandmother lived) has now been bombed. Born in Sudan, Babikir shared that nearly his entire family still lived there and, due to the civil war, has gone into exile in Saudi Arabia, across the Red Sea from Sudan.

The students then introduced our guest speaker, Mai Hassan, MIT associate professor of political science. Born in Sudan, Professor Hassan grew up in the DC area, home to the largest Sudanese diaspora community outside of the Middle East. She noted Sudan’s geostrategic significance (crossroads of Blue and White Nile Rivers and bordering the Red Sea) as well as its oil and mineral resources, which enriched the previous regime. She introduced students to the conflict’s dramatis personae. First, former authoritarian president Omar Al-Bashir (1989-2019), who overthrew a democratic government by military coup, deployed divide and conquer “coup-proofing” tactics, but was deposed after South Sudan seceded, cutting Bashir off from the oil revenues that had funded his hold on power. And second, the military leaders of the SAF (Sudan Armed Forces) and paramilitary RSF (Rapid Support Forces), whose post-Bashir rivalry triggered the present civil war. Hassan explained that, as the war expanded beyond the capital to peripheral regions, regional “pop-up” militias have attacked rival ethnic groups under cover of the broader war, scorching villages, killing tens of thousands, and displacing millions. As of now, 50% of the country’s entire population is displaced and at risk of severe famine. Professor Hassan’s account was somber, engaging and ended on a hopeful note: the two sides seem increasingly willing to negotiate with each other. 

The Q&A following her address demonstrated student interest in learning about the conflict. Veteran Model UN leader James Keefe ‘25 posed a question about one of the subordinate militias. Juan-Pablo Fernandez del Castillo ‘25 asked Professor Hassan which side she hopes emerges victorious. “Neither!” she declared emphatically. Her hopes for the country are that it can reconstitute a democratic regime and reject the past four decades of military rule. In the spirit of the audience’s thoughtful questions, Professor Hassan concluded by presenting the boys with resources and information on how to stay informed.