How to stop Sudan sliding into war

THE BURSTRSFRSF of optimism in Sudan did not last long. In April, after months of mass protests, a tyrant was deposed. President Omar al-Bashir, who had ruled for 30 years, was ousted in a bloodless coup. No one was sorry to see him go. Mr Bashir had unleashed genocide in the western region of Darfur, his violent oppression drove the southern third of his vast country to secede, and he presided over a regime of exceptional cruelty and avarice. Alas, the joyful crowds who gathered in Khartoum to serenade his departure and paint their faces the colours of the Sudanese flag have been tragically let down.The Transitional Military Council, a junta that took over, has no intention of holding free or fair elections, as the crowds demand. To underline this point, on June 3rd a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces () started slaughtering peaceful protesters (see ). They shot and killed at least 100, probably far more. Some were thrown howling from bridges. Since then the , which grew out of the Janjaweed, a militia notorious for village-burning in Darfur, has terrorised the capital. Militiamen barge into shops and steal goods. Both men and women are raped. The clear aim is to intimidate civilians into giving up hope of a say in who rules them.