Will Sudan’s Bashir step down?

Ignoring the fact that in terms of land area, Sudan was the biggest of the Arab countries, he sold one-third of Sudan to enable the establishment of the Republic of South Sudan so as to stay in power in return.
Giving up all of Sudan’s oil, Omar Bashir became the first-ever leader in the history of mankind to donate his country’s resources with unmatched generosity. President Bashir gave up all his country’s petroleum without asking or apologizing to the thousands of his people who died for the sake of the country’s unity.
There was a time when he had announced that he would not give up even an inch of the land and sacrificed the lives of young Sudanese in a war in the south that continued for a decade and a half. Eventually he relinquished 600,000 sq.km, approximately the size of France. We must keep in mind that he came to power through a coup, in collaboration with Hassan Al-Turabi in 1989, under the name of Islam. Since that day, Bashir has done everything possible to remain in power.
During his reign, he managed to turn Sudan from a green and oil-rich country to one of the poorest countries in the world. Most of the country’s professionals have fled abroad to search for a better living. His military forces have committed massacres in Darfur and perpetrated crimes that were no less heinous than the crimes of Assad in Syria. The only difference was there were no cameras and media to report the bloody horrors.
When the Sudanese protested against the increased fuel prices, it was because, practically, they have nothing to lose anymore, as he has already destroyed the country’s resources and the state’s institutions, turning his country into a large farm for himself, his fellow soldiers and members of his party. Whether demonstrators succeeded in holding Bashir accountable or whether they are suppressed as those before them, a political miracle is now required to bring Sudan back to its original shape. This is what makes many of the traditional leaders skeptical of leading crowds in the current uprising: They are well aware that the legacy Bashir will leave behind, if toppled, will not be easy to manage. The restoration of the democratic system, crushed by Bashir, will not be an easy task. During his long years in term, he cooperated with Al-Qaeda and made an alliance with the ruler of Libya Muammar Qaddafi. He made deals with the Iranian regime, which rented areas in Sudan for camps and weapon storages. He sympathized with the Syrian President Bashar Assad, against his own people. And when Bashir became ill, he flew to Saudi Arabia to be treated there, despite his political position against Saudis!
No one believes that Bashir will deal mercifully with those who have demonstrated against him. Despite his record, we hope that he will take a step to please the Sudanese people by stepping down. Doing so will spare unnecessary bloodshed and allow the Sudanese to decide their own future by turning a new page free of revenge and civil wars.

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