Issue and Opponents: Omar al-Bashir, the president of Sudan, became increasingly unpopular as the government removed fuel subsidies to close the budget deficit that resulted from the secession of South Sudan. What started as a protest to reinstate the fuel subsidies, transformed into a call for the overthrow of the president. Young protesters blamed al-Bashir for the raising prices and poor economy.
Dilemma Action: Youth organizers titled the main day of protests as “elbow-licking Friday” to allude to Nafi Ali Nafi, the vice-president of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and his infamous dictum “if anyone dares to hit the streets and attempt to remove the regime, the day they lick their elbows is the day they will topple the regime.” The first few days of protests were centered around Khartoum University, however they quickly spread to other campuses in the capital. During “elbow-licking Friday,” hundreds of people left mosques after prayer to shout out their frustrations, and some riots took control of the streets.
Outcomes: Government used rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters during “elbow-licking Friday,” while also arresting and beating them. Al-Bashir downplayed the unrest, refusing to identify it as a true revolt. The Sudanese government became desperate and sent out text messages asking for military donations. The protestors never stopped, but al-Basir remained in power until 2019.