Intro

Sudan was supposed to be moving away from military rule and toward democracy. But over the past week, the country has been thrown into violent chaos as two factions battle for control.

Declan Walsh, chief Africa correspondent for The Times, explains how an explosive rivalry between two generals turned into a catastrophic conflict.

Guest: Declan Walsh, the chief Africa correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• In the days before fighting erupted, American and British mediators held out hope that crunch talks could defuse the tensions and even steer Sudan to democracy.
• Here are the latest developments in the conflict.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.