Beat memo: Sudan

I plan to cover the political and economic instability in Sudan, especially in the year since their latest coup last October. There is a substantial Sudanese community in the tri-state area, most notably in Jersey City and Brooklyn with many members of various opposition groups to the government in Khartoum active and organizing with communities in the rest of the US. I would be interested to explore any tribal differences that may hinder effective organizing in the US so far, and what courses of action are being pursued as Sudan faces record inflation and a large portion of the population’s dependence on remittance sent home by family living abroad, including NYC. I have many contacts in the community from businessmen to political activists and lawyers to journalists still in Sudan reporting. A cultural angle I could include is going into the history a little bit, as up until the mid-70s, Sudan was lauded as a success story in post-colonial Africa with emerging industries, a decades long intellectual and artistic tradition centered around Khartoum, meek but ambitious plans for healthcare access and fairly decent press freedoms in relation to the rest of the continent. Many of the older generation came to the US during that time as the country began a long descent into the more repressive structure it keeps to this day. I would like to explore the frustrations of those older generations that have made their homes here in the US, and the hopes of younger immigrant generations who only ever heard tales of “Sudan zamaan” or the old Sudan.