Sudan, According to AI

If you peripherally follow Western news outlets—in between watching the NFL draft—you know a tiny bit about Sudan. Something about genocide, splitting into two countries, and more conflict as of 2023.

To help fill in the gaps, rather than strain my human neurons—which I need to preserve for Buffalo Bills draft analysis—I thought I’d let AI do the heavy lifting. In this case, that’s Google Bard, Google’s answer to ChatGPT. This large language model uses something called Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), provides access to up-to-date information from the web, and makes my life a whole lot easier.

But just so you don’t think I’m shirking my responsibility, I have edited some responses for clarity and added cutting-edge analysis at the end.

 

Prompt: Summarize the history of Sudan in one paragraph.

The history of Sudan is a long and complex one, dating back to the ancient Kingdom of Kush. The country has been ruled by a variety of different empires and dynasties over the centuries, including the Egyptians, the Ottomans, and the British. In 1956, Sudan gained its independence, but it has been plagued by civil war and political instability ever since. In 2011, the southern half of Sudan seceded to form the independent country of South Sudan. Today, Sudan is still struggling to overcome its past and build a brighter future.

 

Prompt: From whom did Sudan gain independence in 1956?

Sudan gained independence from the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium in 1956. The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium was a joint British and Egyptian administration of Sudan that had been in place since 1899.

 

Prompt: After Sudanese independence, what was the civil war all about?

There were two civil wars in Sudan after independence. The First Sudanese Civil War was fought from 1955 to 1972 between the central government in Khartoum and the Southern Sudanese Liberation Movement (SSLM). The war was largely about religious and cultural differences between the north and south. The north was predominantly Muslim and Arab, while the south was predominantly Christian and African. The war ended with the signing of the Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972.

The Second Sudanese Civil War was fought from 1983 to 2005 between the central government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). The war was largely about the same issues as the First Sudanese Civil War, but it was also fueled by the discovery of oil in southern Sudan. The war ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. The agreement led to the independence of South Sudan in 2011.

 

Prompt: What was the Darfur genocide?

The Darfur genocide was a systematic campaign of killing, rape, and displacement targeting ethnic African communities in Darfur, Sudan, by the government of Sudan and its allied Janjaweed militia. The genocide began in 2003, when two Darfuri rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), launched attacks on Sudanese Government military targets. The Sudanese Government responded by arming the Janjaweed militia and unleashing them on Darfur. The Janjaweed carried out a campaign of terror against the Darfurian population, killing, raping, and displacing millions of people.

The United Nations estimates that over 300,000 people have been killed in the Darfur genocide, and over 2 million people have been displaced from their homes. The genocide has been widely condemned by the international community, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for several Sudanese officials, including former President Omar al-Bashir, for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide.

 

Prompt: Summarize Sudanese history from 2019 to now.

In 2019, Sudan experienced a popular uprising that led to the overthrow of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. A transitional government was formed, with a power-sharing agreement between the military and civilians. The transitional government made progress on a number of fronts, including economic reforms, human rights, and peace negotiations with rebel groups. However, the government was also plagued by challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a deep economic recession.

In October 2021, the military seized power in a coup (led by General Abdel-Fattah Burhan), ousting the civilian-led government. The coup was met with widespread protests, and the military has since cracked down on dissent. The coup has derailed Sudan’s transition to democracy, and the country is now facing a new era of political uncertainty.

 

Prompt: What is the 2023 Sudan conflict about?

The 2023 Sudan conflict is a power struggle between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Dagalo (known as Hemedti) that was also instrumental in the aforementioned coup but is now engaged in a power struggle with the military. (The two feuding generals were once allied with Omar al-Bashir and involved in coordinating the Darfur genocide.) The conflict began on April 15, 2023, when the RSF launched an attack on the military headquarters in Khartoum. The fighting has since spread to other parts of the country, and has resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.

 

Human Analysis

People have killed each other over perceived differences that are completely fabricated. Whether such differences involve stories their parents brainwashed them with or another fabrication called money, the stories are so well-told that when challenged with other well-told stories, such challenge is worthy of bloodshed—in the name of the blessed creator, of course.

People not directly involved in the killing feel bad, but they don’t really care unless it affects their own fabrication that usually goes by the name dollar or euro—or if those annoying breaking news segments interrupt the NFL draft.

Here’s a map.