Welcome to the President's Inbox, a CFR podcast about the foreign policy challenges facing the United States.

I'm Jim Lindsay, Director of Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

This week's topic is the Civil War in Sudan.

With me to discuss the ongoing deadly conflict in Sudan is Michelle Gavin. Michelle is the Ralph Bunch Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

She served as the U.S. ambassador to Botswana and served concurrently as the U.S. representative to the Southern

African development community from 2011 to 2014. Michelle was also a special assistant to President

Barack Obama and a senior director for Africa on the staff of the National Security Council.

Her recent writings on Sudan include Se urgency on Sudan and Sudan's two truths,

both of which you can find on CFR.org.

Michelle, thank you for joining me.

Thank you for having me.

Michelle, I want to get into the details of the power struggle we are witnessing in Sudan, but I'd like to begin

with the question of its significance. Sadly, coups and countercues, insurrections and insurgencies

are far too common around the world. What is it about the turmoil we are seeing in Sudan that stands

out? Well, there are a couple things. First, the opportunity cost in Sudan. Sudan was governed

for a long time by a brutally violent authoritarian regime, and then a popular movement rose up

to demand change. That popular revolution was essentially truncated when the military seized power. But for those who believe that there's an important struggle going on in the world between authoritarianism and democracy, Sudan for a moment looked as though it was trending in the democratic direction.

That's what the people in the streets were calling for.

And then to watch it devolve into this horrifying civil war is a real loss in that respect.

Sudan is also strategically quite important.

Access to Port Sudan on the Red Sea is being coveted by many international actors.

Most recently, Russia seeking a naval facility there.

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