2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
On 31 July, Pléiades commercial satellite imagery revealed Iran's mock carrier had inadvertently capsized while being towed on its way back to port in Bandar Abbas, listing at about 90 degrees with the starboard side facing upwards and "nearly half of the flight deck submerged" in shallow water just outside the harbor entrance, posing a navigation hazard near the main approach channel.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2020: Mahan Air intercept and Great Prophet XIV
Though regional U.S. forces detected the launch of ballistic missiles during Great Prophet XIV, according to Forbes, the satellite imagery did not appear to show extensive ballistic missile damage and, in fact, revealed less overall damage to the vessel than in Great Prophet IX, leaving "the impression that the IRGCN wanted to keep the mock carrier in better condition so it could be reused more easily in future exercises."


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2020: MT Wila incident and UN arms embargo expiration
On 2 August, the Iranian foreign ministry announced they would put a sanction on Richard Goldberg. citing Law of "confrontation with human-rights violations and USA adventuresome and terrorist measures in the region".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2020: MT Wila incident and UN arms embargo expiration
On 6 August, China confirmed its support for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 and affirmed it would veto any council proposal to extend the international Iran nuclear arms embargo, stopping a U.S.-led effort to do so. On 9 August, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) asked the UN to extend the arms embargo on Iran while, on 13 August, Saudi ambassador to the UN Abdul Aziz al-Wasel called for an embargo extension, arguing that Iran "smuggles weapons to militias to disturb the peace in the Middle East". On 15 August, the UNSC voted to deny extending the international arms embargo on Iran. Of the 15-member body, 11 members abstained while Russia and China opposed extension.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2020: MT Wila incident and UN arms embargo expiration
Late on 12 August, the U.S. accused Iran of briefly seizing Liberian-flagged oil tanker MT Wila in the Gulf of Oman, with U.S. Central Command releasing video of apparent armed Iranian naval forces fast-roping from a Sea King helicopter and boarding the vessel. According to Coalition Task Force Sentinel, the operational arm of the IMSC maritime coalition, along with statements from an unidentified U.S. official, the seizure took place in international waters off the coast of the UAE's Khor Fakkan and the tanker was held for five hours before being released. The Wila did not make any distress calls before, during, or after the seizure and it was not immediately clear what cargo it carried or why it was seized. By 13 August, Iranian officials and state media had not publicly acknowledged the incident.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2020: MT Wila incident and UN arms embargo expiration
On 13 August, the U.S. seized Iranian fuel cargo for the first time. On 13 August, UAE and Israel establish full bilateral diplomatic relations.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2020: MT Wila incident and UN arms embargo expiration
On 14 August, Khamenei again threatened retaliation against the U.S. for the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani. Trump told reporters on 14 August, "We'll be doing a snapback (trigger for sanctions)" On 17 August, CNN reported US intelligence agencies assessed that Iran offered bounties to Taliban fighters for targeting American and coalition troops in Afghanistan, identifying payments linked to at least six attacks carried out by the militant group during 2019.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2020: MT Wila incident and UN arms embargo expiration
On 20 August, Iran summoned UAE chargé d'affaires in Tehran and seized one UAE ship in their territorial waters after UAE coastguard killed two Iranian fishermen crossing into their territory northwest of Sir Bu Nu'Ayr island. On 21 August, U.S. imposed sanctions on two UAE-based companies for aiding Iran's Mahan Air stating they assist Syrian and Venezuelan regimes. On 22 August, US State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus called Iran's nuclear deal "just a failed political document" that has not been approved by any member state in parliament. On 26 August The UNSC blocked a bid by the US to trigger the snapback of all sanctions on Iran lifted by JCPOA.Indonesian representative said many of the 15 member states contested the move because the US withdrew from the accord two years ago.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
On 1 September Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during a speech that the United Arab Emirates had betrayed the Muslim world and the Palestinians in reaching a deal toward normalizing relations with Israel. On 14 September top advisor to supreme leader Ali Akbar Velayati threatened Bahrain and Israel for making peace. On 6 September the vice president for Iran's Supreme National Defense University, General Alireza Afshar, stated that the United States, via Oman, had confidentially threatened missile strikes after Iran attacked Al Asad Airbase in Iraq.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
On 9 September Bahrain established full diplomatic ties with Israel.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
On 11 September the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman responded to Microsoft's allegation that Iranians were trying to influence the US elections through spreading disinformation, stating "It does not matter who goes into the White House."


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
On 12 September the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released a statement that "strongly condemned" the normalization of relations between Bahrain and Israel, referring to it as a "conspiracy organized by the White House" and threatened Bahrain with "harsh revenge."


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
On 14 September Politico cited US intelligence community report "The Iranian government is considering an assassination attempt against the American ambassador to South Africa Lana Marks." At around 11:00 PM on 14 September, Trump threatened Iran on Twitter, saying "Any attack by Iran, in any form, against the United States will be met with an attack on Iran that will be 1,000 times greater in magnitude!" Following the threat, Iran reportedly warned against making a "strategic mistake", saying "the U.S. will witness Iran's decisive response".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
On 16 September Elliott Abrams said "virtually all UN sanctions on Iran will come back into place this weekend at 8:00 PM EDT on Saturday, 19 September. The arms embargo will now be re-imposed indefinitely and other restrictions will return, including the ban on Iran engaging in enrichment and reprocessing-related activities, the prohibition on ballistic missile testing and development, and sanctions on the transfer of nuclear and missile-related technologies to Iran."


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
The Times of Israel cited US intelligence and government officials in New York Times that It said Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is hoping for a less antagonistic US administration come January, but believes a significant conflict between the countries will bolster Trump's odds of holding on to the presidency.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
Bahraini authorities announced in September that in early 2020 they uncovered a militant attack plot after finding an explosive on the street believed to have been planted to target a "foreign delegation," the pro-government Bahraini newspaper Akhbar Al-Khaleej reported, citing the Interior Ministry accusing IRGC. and making 9 arrests.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
On 23 September, NEDSA built a new navy base in Sirik, Iran for full access to Hormuz strait passing ships.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
On 24 September, the US put sanctions on some Iranian judges and prisons and Shiraz court of Islamic revolution for the Death of Navid Afkari.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2020
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) projects Iran's real GDP will collapse 12% while adding that the authorities’ belated response "will also fuel popular anger and a humanitarian crisis."


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, October 2020
On 18 October, United Nations arms embargoes that barred Iran from purchasing and exporting military armaments expired, despite insistence by U.S. officials that they are still effective.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, October 2020
On 21 October, US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe announced Iran & Russia have taken to influence public opinion related to the 2020 United States presidential election.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, October 2020
On 25 October, Rotax announced they will stop selling UAV engines to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, October 2020
On 30 October The Federal Bureau of Investigations and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released an advisory warning of an Iranian Advanced Persistent Threat that targeted US voter registration data.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2020
On 14 November it was reported Israeli agents in Tehran killed Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Muhammad al-Masri, because of US intelligence on the anniversary of bombings of two US embassies in Africa.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2020
On 16 November, The New York Times reported that President Trump inquired about military options to strike the primary Iranian nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz, but was dissuaded from pursuing the matter further by senior officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo, who warned it could trigger a regional conflict.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2020
On 23 November, Israeli media reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mossad director Yossi Cohen, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Mike Pompeo held a secret meeting in Neom on 22 November to discuss the normalization of ties and Iran, but failed to reach an agreement on the former. On the same day, Houthis claimed they attacked a big oil facility north of Jeddah and southeast of Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport with a Quds 2 cruise missile and damaged a distribution station.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2020
After a days, Aramco oil company confirmed the attack and added the hit took place at 3:50 a.m. and there is no injuries or casualties. The facility is less crucial to the kingdom's oil infrastructure than the oil-processing hub of Abqaiq, which was damaged by a drone attack in 2019. Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki condemned involvement of Iran in the attack.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2020
On 25 November, Axios reported that the IDF had been ordered to prepare for possible US military action against Iran before the end of President Trump's term as a precautionary measure, although no intelligence suggested this was imminent.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2020
On 27 November, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi, Iran's top nuclear scientist supposedly leading Iran's nuclear program, was assassinated in Tehran. An Iranian government official and state newspaper Kayhan wrote that Iran should launch a military strike on Haifa in retaliation.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2020
In the meantime, Iranian MPs proposed repealing Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and passed a law for 20% nuclear enrichment.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, November 2020
On 30 November, Reuters reported that Iraqi and local officials said that a senior IRGC commander, Muslim Shahdan, and three others had been killed in a drone strike near Al-Qa'im border crossing, but was unable to independently verify the claims. Iran has denied these reports. "We have not received any report in this regard, and it seems more like media propaganda," Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said being quoted by Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, December 2020
On 20 December, just two weeks to the one-year anniversary of the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, reports have shown that the US Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone has been under a rocket attack. At least eight Katyusha rockets were said to have been fired at the Green Zone on Sunday, which led to a few damages on the compound, the US embassy and Iraqi military disclosed. According to CNN, at least one Iraqi soldier was wounded when one of the rockets landed close to a security checkpoint. Although, the U.S. Embassy's C-RAM defense system was said to have been activated during the attack in order to intercept the rockets, the ABC News added.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2021
On 4 January 2021, Iran seized the Hankuk Chemi, a South Korean oil tanker, citing "environmental reasons" and demanding money for its damage to environment. In response, South Korea dispatched anti-piracy troops.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, January 2021
On January 22, a Twitter user claiming to be the Supreme Leader of Iran threatened former president Donald Trump (who had left office two days earlier) with "revenge". Twitter suspended the account the same day.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February 2021
On 9 February, Iran's intelligence minister Mahmoud Alavi said that Iran may develop a nuclear weapon if sanctions continue.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February 2021
On 10 February, Houthis attacked the Abha Airport in south of Saudi Arabia and damaged a parked airplane belonged to flyadeal by some kamikaze drones.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February 2021
On 11 February, Iran began producing uranium metal in Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility and violating JCPOA accords, announcing they will deny IAEA inspectors access to atomic sites.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February 2021
On 15 February, rocket fire targeted Erbil Airbase in Iraqi Kurdistan; one US-led coalition civilian contractor was killed and eight others, including a US soldier, were wounded in the attack. According to CJTF-OIR spokesman, at 21:30, fourteen 107mm rockets were launched with 3 of them impacting on the Erbil Airbase. An Iraqi civilian injured in the attack died from the wounds six days later.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February 2021
On 20 February, another rocket attack targeted Balad Airbase in Iraq's Saladin Governorate, wounding one South African civilian contractor working for the US coalition.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, February 2021
On 26 February, U.S. President Joe Biden ordered airstrikes against Kata'ib Hezbollah facilities in the town of Abu Kamal, Syria in retaliation for a recent rocket strike in Erbil. The attack left casualties among Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, with the dead ranging from 1 to 17 or as high as 22 militants. Later that day, an Israeli-owned Bahamas-flagged vehicle carrier, the MV Helios Ray, was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman resulting in holes in both sides of the ship's hull. No injuries were reported and the ship was forced to turn back.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, March 2021
On 3 March, Al Asad Airbase housing US and Coalition forces was target of rocket attacks from the east of the base. One US civilian contractor died by a heart attack suffered as result of the attack, no group claimed responsibility.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, March 2021
On 19 March, Israeli and American news channels reported that since 2019, Israel had attacked dozens of Iranian vessels en route to Syria.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, March 2021
On 21 March, AP cited US intelligence officials that Iranian IRGC has discussed threats against Fort McNair.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, March 2021
On 25 March, Channel 12 reported that the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Lori, which is owned by the Haifa-based company XT Management Ltd., was allegedly targeted by Iranian forces on its way between Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Mundra, India.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April 2021
On 6 April, Iran and US established two working groups to comply JCPOA rules. On the same day, IRGC Navy reconnaissance vessel Saviz was struck with several limpet mines off the coast of Eritrea in the Red Sea. However, a Pentagon spokesperson denied any U.S. involvement in the attack on the Iranian ship. Israel later notified the US that it had carried out the attack.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April 2021
On 11 April, an explosion caused a power outage at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility in what Iranian authorities said was an act of "nuclear terrorism" by Israel.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April 2021
On 13 April, a suspected Iranian missile hit the Israel-owned Hyperion Ray cargo ship docked off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. No injuries were reported, and the ship sustained minor damage.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April 2021
On 14 April a drone dropped explosives on a base housing US troops hear Erbil Airport, with no injuries resulting. While an Iranian aligned group praised the attack, no one claimed responsibility.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April 2021
On 18 April, three Iraqi soldiers and two foreign contractors were wounded when Balad Airbase's canteen and dormitory were struck by rockets.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April 2021
On 24 April, an Iranian oil tanker was on fire, after being targeted by a drone strike outside the Baniyas refinery off Syria's coast.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, April 2021
On 28 April, The USS Firebolt, fired the warning shots after three of NEDSA fast-attack vessels came within 200 feet of it in the Persian Gulf.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2021
On 2 May, one rocket was shot down by a CRAM anti-aircraft system near Baghdad International Airport while a second rocket struck near a US base in the area without causing casualties. Also on 2 May, Iran released a video depicting an attack on the United States Capitol. The video was denounced by U.S. Senator Pat Toomey who urged the Biden administration to ensure that Iran doesn't carry out any attacks, and to not remove sanctions.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2021
On 3 May, four rockets hit Balad airbase with no casualties.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2021
On 4 May, two rockets hit Ain al Assad airbase with no casualties.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2021
On 6 May, the US Navy cruiser USS Monterey (CG-61) captured an alleged Iranian weapons shipment en route to Yemen in Arabian Sea.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, May 2021
On 10 May, in the Strait of Hormuz, the USCGC Maui fired 30 warning shots at a squadron of 13 Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast attack craft that were harassing a flotilla of six US Navy warships escorting the guided missile submarine USS Georgia.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2021
On 6 June, the U.S. Army C-RAM air defense system at Ain al-Assaad airbase shot down two drones which had flown over the base. Several hours earlier a rocket had been shot down at Baghdad International Airport.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2021
On 18 June, the Biden administration started to remove eight Patriot anti-missile batteries from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq, in addition to the THAAD anti-missile defense system from Saudi Arabia, and announced that most jet squadrons and hundreds of American troops would be withdrawn from the region. The changes came in light of both de-escalating tensions with Iran and the administration changing its focus on countering China.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, June 2021
On 27 June, President Biden directed airstrikes against Iranian backed militia forces in Iraq and Syria, leaving at least 4 pro-Iranian militia killed. Those groups mounted rocket and drone attacks against US bases in retaliation.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2021
Iran denied IAEA access to Natanz nuclear facility. On 3 July, an Israeli cargo vessel, CSAV Tyndall, which docked in Jeddah and was heading towards Jebel Ali, UAE, was struck by an "unknown weapon" and damaged while traveling in the northern Indian Ocean. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iran was blamed.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2021
On 5 July, 3 rockets landed in Al Asad Airbase, without causing causlties. On 6 July, a drone targeted the U.S. base at Erbil airport; however, no casualties or damage reported.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2021
On 8 July, 14 rockets struck in Al Asad Airbase and its perimeter, leaving two US servicemen with minor injuries. On 14 July, United States created a sanctions exemption on Iranian seized capital in South Korea and Japan. US DOJ charged 10 people over foiled attempted kidnapping of Brooklyn resident journalist and Iranian government critic Masih Alinejad and others by the Iranian agents in US and Canada. The 2021 Khuzestan protests began on 15 July. On 29 July Iranian Supreme leader said that they can't trust the West and the US.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2021, July 2021 Gulf of Oman ship attack
On July 30, the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Mercer Street, reportedly came under attack off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. The ship was operated by the London-based Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group. Two crew members, a UK and a Romanian nationals, were killed in the attack. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said that the attack took place on Thursday night and happened at a location just northeast of the Omani island of Masirah, nearly 300 kilometers (185 miles) southeast of Oman's capital, Muscat.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2021, July 2021 Gulf of Oman ship attack
Israeli officials did not immediately acknowledge the attack, but Israel's Channel 13 quoted a senior Israeli official saying that the attack was "carried out by Iran with the help of a UAV." Later, the U.S. Navy 5th fleet said explosive experts believed a "drone strike" targeted the tanker. U.S., European, and Israeli officials blamed the attack on Iran, and the Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel will respond to it.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, July 2021, July 2021 Gulf of Oman ship attack
Iran's Arabic-speaking Al-Alam News Network quoted unnamed sources who said the attack was a response for the "latest Israeli airstrikes on Dabaa airport in Syria," which the Network said resulted in 2 unspecified fatalities, but the Iranian government formally denied involvement in the attack and said it will respond to any retaliation.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2021, August 2021 Gulf of Oman hijacking incident
On August 3, four oil tankers called Queen Ematha, Golden Brilliant, Jag Pooja, and Abyss, which were sailing in the Gulf of Oman, announced around the same time that they were "not under command." Around the same time, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported an incident off the coast of the United Arab Emirates which it described as a "potential hijack" of a tanker named Asphalt Princess, where a group of eight or nine armed individuals were believed to have boarded the vessel without authorisation and ordered the ship to sail to Iran. On August 4, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said that boarders have left the vessel and the incident was "complete".


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, August 2021, August 2021 Gulf of Oman hijacking incident
On August 10, an oil tanker, Wisdom, which had been used to transfer oil from Iran to Syria, was hit by a mysterious explosion while being moored at the port of Latakia which left two people injured. The attack raised suspicion that it might be a retaliatory strike for Iranian attacks on shipping.


2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis, Timeline, September 2021
In 26 September US deployed to the gulf its first UAV drone and underwater drones fleet, Task Force 59 was incorporated by US Navy part of its partnership with US Marines.


2019–2021 Regionalliga Bayern
The 2019–21 Regionalliga Bayern is the eighth season of the Regionalliga Bayern.


2019–2021 Regionalliga Bayern
The season was originally scheduled as the 2019–20 season. After the Bavarian Football Association (BFV) cancelled the 2020–21 season, which would have been the ninth for this Regionalliga, and enrolled Türkgücü München for the 2020–21 3. Liga, the ongoing season had to resume without Türkgücü in September 2020 and conclude in mid-2021.


2019–2021 Regionalliga Bayern
Originally, 18 teams from Bavaria competed in the eighth season of the Regionalliga Bayern. Türkgücü München and TSV Rain am Lech were promoted from the 2018–19 Bayernliga Süd and TSV Aubstadt was promoted from the 2018–19 Bayernliga Nord. After Türkgücü München was promoted to the 3. Liga, 17 teams continued competing.


2019–2021 Regionalliga Bayern, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, the BFV announced the postponement of the scheduled Regionalliga matchdays on 14 March 2020.


2019–2021 Regionalliga Bayern, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
The Regionalliga Bayern clubs voted on 4 June 2020 to extend their league season beyond September, which meant the BFV had to cancel the 2020–21 season and continue without Türkgücü München, which the BFV registered for promotion to the 3. Liga. Thus, Bavaria is to be represented by a team that wins a play-off series, to be held in the spring of 2021, among the top four teams at the end of the resumed Regionalliga Bayern season. They will have already submitted applications for 3. Liga licences. The Bavarian play-off winners are to face the Regionalliga Nord champions for a place in the 2021–22 3. Liga. The rest of the season was abandoned on 18 May 2021. VfR Garching was relegated based on points per game, while the relegation play-offs were cancelled.


2019–2021 Regionalliga Bayern, League table, After season break
After Türkgücü München was promoted to the 2020–21 3. Liga, they were removed from the league table and all their results were expunged.


2019–2021 Regionalliga Bayern, Championship play-offs
The top four eligible teams were originally supposed to play a best-of-five knockout tournament to determine the participant in the promotion play-offs against the champions of the 2020–21 Regionalliga Nord. However, on 28 April 2021 it was decided that the top three eligible teams Viktoria Aschaffenburg, SpVgg Bayreuth and 1. FC Schweinfurt will play in a double round-robin group to determine the promotion play-off participant.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests
The 2019–2021 Sudanese protests consisted of street protests in Sudan starting from mid-September 2019 during the 2019 Sudanese transition to democracy, on issues that included the nomination of a new Chief Justice of Sudan and Attorney-General, killings of civilians by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the toxic effects of cyanide and mercury from gold mining in Northern state and South Kordofan, protests against a state governor in el-Gadarif and against show trials of Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) coordinators, and for officials of the previous government to be dismissed in Red Sea, White Nile, and South Darfur.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests
These protests followed the sustained street protests and civil disobedience of the Sudanese Revolution and the early September 2019 transfer of executive power to the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and his cabinet of ministers. Hamdok described the 39-month transitional period as being defined by the aims of the revolution.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Background
Eight months of street protests and sustained civil disobedience in Sudan, starting on 19 December 2018, led to a Political Agreement and Draft Constitutional Declaration defining a 39-month political transition period that started in September 2019, formally transferring executive power to the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and his cabinet of ministers. Gilbert Achcar described the transition period as the fourth phase of the revolution.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
On 12 September two thousand protestors in Khartoum and other cities and on 19 September twenty thousand protestors in Khartoum, Wad Madani and Port Sudan called for Abdelgadir Mohamed Ahmed to be appointed as Chief Justice and Mohamed el-Hafiz as Attorney-General, for the Khartoum massacre investigation commission to be created, and for the senior members of the previous government to be either tried in Sudanese courts on extradited to the International Criminal Court investigation in Darfur.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
Displaced people held mass protests in Mershing in South Darfur on 15–16 September 2019 and in Nyala on 17 September after armed men wearing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) uniforms shot dead University of Zalingei student Munir Hamid as well as Adam Mohamed, Hashim Karameldin and Radwan Abdelrahman. The protestors considered the transitional government to be responsible for the deaths and called for "the militias" to be disarmed.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
On 17 September, residents of Simit and other villages in Northern state protested against the construction of a new mine by Hamid Mining Company on the grounds of the risks of pollution from mercury and cyanide used during the extraction procedures. On the same day, people from South Kordofan protested in Khartoum to call for mining to be suspended, as ordered by the governor of South Kordofan but disobeyed by some mining companies. The protestors showed photographs of victims of the cyanide used in the mining process and called for local companies including El Sunut, al-Junaid (also Juneid), Abarsi and international mining companies to stop mining.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
On 18 and 19 September, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the Sudanese resistance committees, government employees, and other el-Gadarif residents organised protests in el-Gadarif calling for the removal of the state governor on the grounds of government-controlled radio and television not reporting on activities of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) and the situation of people affected by flooding, and against the governor's "anti-revolutionary position". On the same two days, the SPA protested in front of courts in Geneina against the trials of eight SPA coordinators, which they considered to be show trials punishing the SPA members for having organised protests and a strike.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
Teachers and other public servants in Red Sea protested on 18 September calling for senior officials associated with the previous government to be dismissed.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
Engineers and other workers of the White Nile Sugar Workers Union in White Nile protested on 17 September calling for officials of the previous government to be dismissed. Employers of the protestors dismissed three of the engineers and started investigations into others, which the protestors' committee, the Temporal Committee for the Restoration of the White Nile Sugar Workers Union, considered to be retaliation for having participated in the protest.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
On 22 September, Sudanese police used tear gas against students protesting in Nyala in South Darfur against bread shortages and transport failures and calling for the state governor to be dismissed. The FFC condemned the "use of tear gas and live bullets against peaceful protestors", called for civilian governors to be appointed, and called for an immediate investigation into the actions of the police.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
On 26 September, two thousand people protested in support of Waleed Abdelrahman Hassan (or Walid, Abdulrahman), a Sudanese student arrested in Cairo for alleged participation in the 21 September street protests in Egypt. The solidarity protest took place in Khartoum in front of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Egyptian Embassy. The SPA called for Abdelrahman Hassan to be able to contact his family, choose a lawyer, and not be tortured or coerced.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, September 2019
Abdelrahman Hassan's friends and relatives stated that an apparent confession by him broadcast by MBC Masr on 26 September, in which he stated support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, was a forced confession, given Abdelrahman Hassan's long-term opposition to Islamists in Sudan under the Omar al-Bashir government, for which he was arrested in 2013 and 2018, and during the Sudanese Revolution. Abdelrahman Hassan's friend Mohammed Saleh described the idea of Hassan supporting the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood as "unbelievable". The SPA stated that the video broadcast was "shameful" and that, "We stress here that the era when Sudanese citizens were humiliated inside or outside their country has gone and will never return." Abedelrahman Hassan was freed on 2 October.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2019
On 13 October protestors in el-Hilaliya in Gezira started a sit-in calling for the administrative head of el-Hilaliya to be dismissed, for the security committee to be dissolved, and for improvements to be made in education, health care, electricity and the environment. The administrative head was dismissed on 19 October. The week-long sit-in continued on 20 October, with protestors considering a shift of the protest to the state capital Wad Madani if their demands were not met.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2019
On 18 October, further protests against the use of cyanide and other toxic molecules in gold mining took place in Talodi. The protestors called for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to stop guarding the mining plants, for the Amir of Talodi to be dismissed, and for improved Talodi Hospital services. The RSF beat protest supporter Hussein Noureljalil in the head with their rifle butts. Regular army forces rescued Noureljalil and took him to Talodi Hospital.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2019
On 21 October 20 thousand people protested in Freedom Square in Khartoum and in other towns in Sudan calling for the National Congress Party (NCP), which dominated politics during the al-Bashir government, to be dissolved, and for its senior members to be tried in court. There were no reports of casualties. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok gave a speech marking the 55th anniversary of the 1964 uprising, in which he said "the revolution needs greater efforts to be completed and achieve its goals", after firing several top bureaucrats associated with al-Bashir's government the previous week.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2019
The 21 October protestors also called for the investigation into the 3 June Khartoum massacre to be carried out transparently and into all suspects, including members of the civilian-military Sovereignty Council who were formerly members of the Transitional Military Council.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, November 2019
On 11 November, Suakin residents blocked the main road linking Port Sudan to Tokar in protest against a week of electricity shtudowns. On the same day in Abu Naama in Sennar, protestors burnt the offices, fuel depots, tractors and factories of the Kanaf Abu Naama project in protest against carcinogens. Security services detained two residents.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, November 2019
Students at Nyala University protested in front of local administrative offices on 11 November in protest against the lack of public transport, and called for university staff vehicles to be used to help transport students. On the same day in Abu Ushar in Gezira, protestors burnt tyres and blocked a major highway in protest against the lack of flour and the deterioration of other services.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, November 2019
Also on 11 November, Jaafar Mohamedein of the Kanabi Congress, representing Kanabi, seasonal workers originally from Darfur and other western parts of Sudan recruited and settled in Gezira, protested about racism by government and the local population at a meeting in Khartoum on 11 November with Mohamed Mahala, representing Sovereignty Council member Mohammed al-Ta'ishi, and Sudan Liberation Movement/Army-Minni Minnawi members. Mohamedein called for the rights of the Kanabi to participate in the political process and for the creation of a Sovereignty Council commission to defend Kanabi rights.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2019
On 11 December, people in Tawila in North Darfur protested against armed attacks by camel and cattle herders against farmers and people living in camps for those displaced by the War in Darfur. On 13 December 200 people protested in West Darfur against corruption, called for the state governor to be dismissed, and against the lack of bread and fuel.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2019
On 17 December, students at the University of Ed Daein in East Darfur protested against the drowning of a student in a groundwater tank, accusing the Student Support and Welfare Fund of the al-Bashir epoch of negligence. Farmers in North Darfur blocked roads in protest against the theft and destruction of the crops by "outlaws".


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, January 2020
Two thousand women demonstrated in Khartoum on 2 January 2020. They marched to the prime minister Hamdok's office and submitted a petition signed by 46 citizens' groups and 13 political parties called for Sudan to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The women complained that a list of nominees for state governors is a men-only list and called for laws against female genital mutilation and child marriage.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, January 2020
On 15 January, ex-security agents from Sudan's former intelligence service, National Intelligence and Security Service, mutinied, engaging in a violent conflict with forces from their former employer, renamed the General Intelligence Service, in Khartoum. According to Al Jazeera, the conflict resulted in the death of 2 soldiers, leaving 4 wounded. Sovereignty Council member Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo attributed responsibility to former intelligence chief general Salah Gosh. Gosh was alleged to have escaped to Egypt after Bashir's government was overthrown by Sudan's regular armed forces. Egyptian authorities did not confirm Gosh's location.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, January 2020
On 27 January, Ethiopian refugees rallied in front of the UN Refugee Agency buildings in Khartoum, complaining that they have their rights as refugees were not recognised, preventing them from either acquiring a nationality by naturalisation or byresettlement.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, January 2020
On 28 January, twenty Sudanese protested in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Khartoum, calling for the return of relatives deployed against their wills to Libya and Yemen as mercenaries in the Second Libyan Civil War and the Yemeni Civil War. According to the demonstrators, their relatives had been deceived by an Emirati company, Black Shield, which had led them to believe that they were to be employed as security guards in the UAE. The families of the victims also protested outside the Emirati embassy in Khartoum on the same day.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, January 2020
About 50 young men returned to Libya the same day, following the protests outside the UAE embassy.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, January 2020
On 31 January, a day after the Sudanese Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Badawi announced a plan to gradually cut fuel subsidies over 18 months, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) called for a "million man march" in Khartoum, which they described as an "expression of national unity" in protest against government policies.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2020
Several Sudanese demonstrated outside the government headquarters in Khartoum on 4 February in protest against the 3 February secret meeting between the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel stated that Sudan and Israel had agreed at the meeting to normalise relations. The two-hour meeting was held in Entebbe, Uganda. The Sudanese government claimed that it had not been notified of the plan to hold the meeting.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2020
Politician and religious figure Abdullahi Yousif claimed that Burhan did not have permission to meet with the Israeli prime minister without authorisation from other government members, and described the meeting as a betrayal for Allah. High-ranking military officers met at army headquarters in Khartoum and expressed support for the Burhan–Netanyahu meeting. Al-Burhan stated that his meeting with Netanyahu had been intended to "protect national security". The Sovereignty Council stated that the Sudanese position in relation to Palestine and in support of the rights of Palestinians had not changed. Al-Burhan also stated that relations between Sudan and Israel remained "the responsibility of the designated institutions, in accordance with the Constitutional Document".


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2020
On 12 February, Human Rights Watch stated that former President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir is set to finally answer for his crimes in Darfur, as the Sudanese leaders plan on collaborating with the International Criminal Court. However, the backing of Sudan's military in the handing over of the former president to the ICC, lies with great uncertainty. The decision was reached, when rebel groups and the transitional authorities of Sudan held peace talks in the capital of South Sudan in Juba on Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2020
The BBC added that three more people are expected to be handed over to the ICC alongside Omar al-Bashir. Also, a senior official of the Sudanese government disclosed that they are figuring out a way that al-Bashir and the three others can be presented to the ICC without being extradited to the Hague.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2020
The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), called for a protest against the government on 20 February, following the dismissal of officers who actively aided the revolution that led to the removal of Omar al-Bashir last year in April. As the protesters gathered in hundreds to demand for the reinstatement of officers and soldiers who were dismissed last week, security forces fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd. At least 17 people were reported to have been injured in the crackdown, according to Reuters. All the victims who were wounded have been urged by the Sudanese Doctors Central Committee to visit the Federal Hospital in order to receive appropriate treatment.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2020
However, in Abu Jubeiha in South Kordofan, hundreds of protesters rallied through the streets on 24 February, to protest against the state government's decision to permit the resumption of mining activities by two companies in the town which has left the area highly polluted. The European Union on 29 February, pledged its support for the transitional government of Sudan with €100 million, considering the deteriorating economic situation of the country. The EU representative also added that they are completely willing and ready to ensure smooth political transition in Sudan, with every means they have available. Joseph Borrell Fontells, the EU representative, is also expected to visit North Darfur after his two-day visit in Khartoum, according to Darfur24.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, March 2020
On 1 March, over 100 diplomats including ambassadors and administrators, linked with the former leader of Sudan Omar Al Bashir, were sacked by the Empowerment Removal Committee of Sudan. The deputy head of the committee disclosed that 109 ambassadors, diplomats, and administrators were sacked from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alongside those who were hired via political and social support. It was also reported that last month, assets of the former ruling party were confiscated by the committee, according to Reuters. The committee was created in November last year in accordance with a law, purposely for taking apart the government established by Al Bashir.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, March 2020
On 5 March, the Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) organisation, disclosed the results of an investigation into the use of violence by armed security forces against pro-democracy protesters in the Khartoum sit-in June 2019, which showed that up to 240 people were killed and more than a hundred others wounded. According to the rights group, the report was founded based on statements of several eyewitnesses, interviews with health practitioners, as well thousands of online video footage and pictures of the attacks.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, March 2020
However, doctors associated with the protest movement claimed that at least 128 people were killed, while the authorities argued that the number was 87 and also falsified the allegations that they had given the go-ahead for the deadly 3 June attack. The PHR in the report, further accused the security forces of Sudan for carrying out excessive use of force against pro-democracy protesters. They have also urged member states of the UN to ensure that the perpetrators have been held accountable for their injustice.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, March 2020
On 9 March, an investigation by Amnesty International, based on fresh evidence, exposed the involvement of all branches of Sudan's security forces in the violence carried out against protesters in 2018 and 2019, which showed how protesters were killed. The group has called on the authorities in Sudan to bring all those responsible for the death of protesters to justice through a just trial, that does not result in punishment by death.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, June 2020
On 3 June, several Sudanese protesters gathered in the streets of Khartoum, to seek out justice for the dozens of protesters that were killed in the 3 June 2019 crackdown. The protesters held up signs, images of members of the Rapid Support forces that they held responsible for the killings and burnt tires as they rallied through the streets. They also shut down roads in the capital Khartoum, as protests reportedly took place in other towns and cities across the country as well. However, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, while marking the anniversary of the horrific event in a televised statement, assured the Sudanese that the perpetrators of the crackdown will be brought to justice.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, June 2020
On 9 June, The bank account of former leader Omar al-Bashir was seized, a Sudanese anti-corruption committee disclosed on Tuesday. In addition, five foreign exchange bureaus that were used to facilitate his administration were also closed. According to the committee, monthly transactions of millions of U.S. dollars were believed to have been carried out through the bank account which was confiscated. The amount received through Omar's personal bank account monthly had reached $20 million, Dabanga TV added.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, June 2020
On 10 June, hundreds of Sudanese protested in Khartoum, against the formation of a United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), which was created to assist the political transition in the country. Several protesters waved the Sudanese flag, including banners indicating their objection to the foreign domination of Sudan, Anadolu Agency reported. In an attempt to break up the crowd which gathered near the army headquarters, security forces reportedly fired tear gas at the protesters.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, June 2020
On 29 June, protesters in Nierteti in Central Darfur took to the streets in thousands, calling on security forces to put a stop to the deadly attacks carried out by gunmen on a daily basis in the area. The protesters further demanded increased protection, punishment to the gunmen responsible for the attacks, as well as ensuring they have laid down arms. A day before the sit-in started, unknown gunmen reportedly killed a woman and a soldier of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) near a camp in Nierteti.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, June 2020
On 30 June, thousands of Sudanese protesters gathered in the streets of Khartoum, Omdurman, as well as Khartoum North, calling for rapid reform and larger civilian leadership in the country. Several demonstrators expressed their backing of Abdalla Hamdok's cause while urging his government to ensure their demands have been met. During the massive peaceful rally, one person was reportedly killed, with many others wounded. The reported casualty was believed to have died as a result of a bullet to the chest, with 44 others also wounded by either bullet or tear gas, the Sudan Doctors Central Committee disclosed. Similar protests were also held in eastern Sudan's Kassala, and across the country, with some protesters shutting down roads, burning tires and chanting slogans of the anti-Bashir movement.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
On 3 July, protesters in Nertiti in Central Darfur returned to the sit-in outside a government office for the fourth consecutive day, threatening to continue with the demonstrations until their calls were answered, according to the Urdu Point. Following the protests, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok stated on Friday, that a delegation would be sent by the government to the area, in order to meet their demands. According to Dabanga, the protesters had already rejected a delegation from the security committee of Central Darfur, who visited the state capital Zalingei on Thursday. The protesters believe that filing several complaints regarding the insecurity in the area, the state officials haven't put in enough effort to bring an end to the attacks.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
On 5 July, the transition government of Sudan disclosed that the Chief of Police, as well as his deputy, were dismissed, as the Sudanese protesters continue to demand justice against officials associated with the former government of Omar al-Bashir, according to Reuters. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok stated on his Twitter account that Ezz Eldin Sheikh Ali had replaced the director-general of Sudan's Police Force, Adel Mohamed Bashaer. The Sudanese parliament, however, did not provide any reason that led to the dismissal of the top officials. According to Reuters, both police officials who were dismissed are accused by several pro-democracy groups and protesters of having ties with the government of ousted ruler President Omar al-Bashir.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
On 13 July, during a peaceful protest in the Fataborno village of Sudan's Northern Darfur, where several people gathered to demand better security in the area, armed men reportedly opened fire at them killing at least 10 people and 17 others injured, according to VOA News. Separately, a police station and cars were said to have been set ablaze by an unknown group of protesters in Kutum town in North Darfur state.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
On Sunday, demonstrators called for the establishment of a civilian government and improved security, considering that military officers are still occupying the positions of the state governor, even though al-Bashir's administration had already been ousted since April last year. Following the attacks, a state of emergency was declared by the provincial government in the region, adding that more troops would be sent to the affected areas, as well as nearby towns. The United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) also stated that it had sent a delegation to Northern Darfur's Kutum town, amidst the ongoing violence in the area.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
However, the acting governor of North Darfur, Maj Gen Malik Khojali assured the UNAMID and other humanitarian organisations that peace had been restored in both Kutum and Fata Borno, while urging relief organisations to come to the aid of victims of the violence.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
On 17 July, several Sudanese in Khartoum came out to criticise the new government reforms which they considered to be anti-Islamic. Also, protesters in the east and north of Khartoum joined the demonstrations which began after Muslims' Friday prayers, as they chanted slogans against secularism and the replacement of laws made by God. In anticipation of the protests, bridges connecting to Khartoum were shut down by security forces from 6:00 p.m on Thursday, to the end of Friday, according to the Khartoum State's Security Committee.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
Some of these reforms included permitting non-Muslims to consume alcohol, as well as decriminalising the conversion from Islam to other religions. Different mosques across Sudan during the Friday prayers, blamed the government for defecting from Islamic laws and encouraged the people to see to the end of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok's present administration.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
On 21 July, Sudan's former President Omar al-Bashir was taken to a courtroom in the capital Khartoum to face trial for partaking in the 1989 coup that brought him into power. Despite being already sentenced on the charges of corruption, there's a possibility that al-Bashir might be given the death penalty if convicted for the 1989 coup, the BBC added. Al-Bashir is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the allegations of crimes against humanity, genocide and other war crimes in Darfur. Prior to statements/evidence being presented, the court decided to adjourn the trial to 11 August, in order to resume in a much larger court that would accommodate more lawyers and family relatives of the defendants.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
On 26 July, UN officials disclosed that a new wave of violence erupted in West Darfur, which led to the death of over 60 people and 60 others injured, the Jakarta Post reported. On Saturday afternoon, about 500 gunmen were said to have attacked Masteri Town, north of Beida, in Darfur, setting houses and part of the local market on fire, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the UN revealed in a statement.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, July 2020
In light of the attack, about 500 locals were said to have organised a protest calling for increased security, refusing to bury the dead until immediate actions are taken by the authorities. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok assured the delegation of women he met with from the region Sunday, that security forces would be dispatched in order to ensure that the citizens are protected, as well as the agricultural season. He added that a joint security force comprising both the army and police would be deployed in the five states of the Darfur region for increased protection.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, August 2020
On 17 August, as the civilian-military power-sharing deal marked one year, several Sudanese protesters took to the streets in Khartoum to demand faster reforms, including the election of a legislative body. Near the Council of Ministers, several protesters were sighted waving the Sudanese flags and chanting for quicker reforms. Some protesters, including security forces were said to have been injured when security forces used tear gas in order to break up the gathering of thousands of protesters marking the anniversary. Demonstrators in Omdurman and many other cities were also said to have joined the protests, with the majority of the protesters gathering outside the cabinet headquarters in the capital Khartoum.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, August 2020
Since Condoleezza Rice's visit to Sudan in 2005, Mike Pompeo has now become the first US secretary of state to visit Sudan on Tuesday, 25 August. During Pompeo's visit, he met with the Sudanese Sovereign Council Chair General Abdel Fattah el-Burhan in Khartoum, and also planned to meet with the Prime Minister of Sudan Abdalla Hamdok. The US State Department revealed that the meeting aims to address US backing of the transitional government in Sudan, as well as strengthen relations between Sudan and Israel. However, the Sudanese PM has told Pompeo that he is not yet authorised to normalise ties with Israel, pending the establishment of interim bodies which would deliberate on the issue.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, August 2020
On 28 August, protests reportedly broke out in eastern Sudan's Kassala town, where demonstrators urged Sudan's leader to remove the governor of Kassala state Saleh Ammar, maintaining that he is incompetent to occupy the position. The protests later turned violent when supporters of Governor Saleh were accused of shooting protesters which resulted in the death of four people and six others wounded, according to VOA News. Several people were said to have stormed the Kassala Grand Market with knives and sticks, setting many shops ablaze. Following the clashes, the Sudanese government has declared a state of emergency in Kassala and sent security reinforcements to avoid further spread of the crisis.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, August 2020
On 31 August, the Sudanese government signed a groundbreaking peace deal with Sudan's five top rebel groups. The deal was signed in the capital of South Sudan, Juba, in an attempt to resolve the long-standing conflict that has ravaged the country. It also aims to address important issues regarding land ownership, security, power-sharing, as well as allowing the insurgents to join the army. Despite the union of rebel groups from the western region of Darfur and the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, including the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) have signed the peace deal, two other groups have reportedly abstained from participating in the peace process.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
On 3 October, the transitional government of Sudan sealed a peace deal with many rebel groups in an attempt to resolve conflicts that have destabilized the country for years. The deal was signed during a ceremony in South Sudan's capital Juba, between the Sudanese government, Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), and a coalition of rebel groups. According to France 24, two other powerful rebel groups refused to participate in signing the peace deal. The two rebel groups included those fighting in Darfur and in the southern part of the country.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
The Sudanese President Abdel Fatah al-Burhan, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, South Sudan Vice President Dr Riek Machar, including dignitaries from Somalia, Uganda, Chad, among others, were all able to attend the event in Juba. The dignitaries were said to have added their names to the agreement, including the African Union (AU), European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN). In addition to the three main groups that signed a preliminary deal in August, Abdelaziz al-Hilu's powerful rebel group, Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, also assented to engaging in peace talks presented by South Sudan last month.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
On 4 October, protesters responded to the recent signing of a peace deal between the Sudanese government and rebel groups which took place on Saturday, by closing the Southern Port of Sudan. The road linking the eastern city and the capital was shut down by the protesters, including Port Sudan's container terminal. The protests were said to have been largely conducted by the members of the Port Sudan Workers Union, as they criticized the failure of the deal to cater for the demands of eastern Sudanese appropriately.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
Aboud el-Sherbiny, head of the Port Sudan Workers Union disclosed that workers in both the southern port and Suakin port had embarked on a strike, following the peace deal. The workers are calling for the termination of the peace deal, as well as the eastern track, El-Sherbiny added. They have also vowed to continue the protests, unless the Sudanese government attends to their demands.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
Salva Kiir, President of South Sudan has called on the international community to provide assistance, in order to ensure successful implementation of the peace deal, according to Al-Awsat.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
On 13 October, the governor of Kassala state, Saleh Ammar was reportedly sacked by Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok over inter-tribal conflict and last week's blockade of Port Sudan's container terminal in eastern Sudan. Ammar's dismissal came three months after his appointment, which was immediately followed by deadly protests that led to the death of at least five with several others injured. The governor subsequently accused supporters of former leader al-Bashir of being responsible for the protests, although he couldn't provide proof to back his claim, Associated Press added. After his appointment in July, Ammar had to stay in Khartoum, due to being prohibited by demonstrators from entering Kassala, who rejected his appointment on the basis of tribe.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
Later in the evening, in response to the dismissal of the Kassala state governor, demonstrators were said to have shut down roads and burnt tires in Kassala town, according to Dabanga Sudan. No injuries were reported during the protests, according to Arab News. A new appointment to replace the provincial governor has not been made yet by the Sudanese Prime Minister.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
On 15 October, the heavy protests which erupted, following the government's decision to fire Kassala's civilian governor Saleh Ammar, claimed the lives of 8 people, the Sudanese government revealed. Several others were said to have been wounded during the clashes between the protesters and security forces. All those who were killed and wounded are believed to be protesters, who were assaulted with swords and knives, a doctors' committee maintained. Sudan's information minister and spokesman, Faisal Mohamed Saleh, stated that a three-day state of emergency was declared in Kassala state by the central government amidst the violent protests.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
On 21 October, due to the deteriorating economic condition in Sudan, protesters returned to the streets of the capital Khartoum, including its twin city, Omdurman. Major roads and bridges linking to the military headquarters and presidential palace in the capital were all shut down by the Sudanese security forces, in preparation of the protests. It was reported that in an attempt to disperse the protesters, security forces fired tear gas at them. The Sudan Doctors' Committee revealed that in the capital, at least one protester was killed, with several others injured, according to ABC News.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
On 23 October, a deal was reached regarding the normalization of relations between Sudan and Israel, US President, Donald Trump announced. The deal which also removes Sudan from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, is said to only go through if approved by Sudan's legislative council, which is not yet set up at the moment, according to senior officials in the capital Khartoum.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, October 2020
Following the announcement of the deal by both countries, several Sudanese protesters took to the streets of Khartoum on Friday, denouncing the deal, Al Jazeera added. Major political parties in Sudan, have also criticized the deal between the two countries and promised to hinder it.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, November 2020
On 23 November, the formation of a transitional government in Sudan was delayed to the end of year 2020, the Forces of Freedom and Change Alliance (FFC) announced.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, November 2020
On 26 November, the last democratically elected Sudanese PM Sadiq al-Mahdi, who was ousted by former ruler Omar al-Bashir, passed away as a result of coronavirus infection. Al-Mahdi's family revealed that he died after three weeks of receiving treatment in a hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Following his death, three days of mourning was declared by the present Abdalla Hamdok's administration. Flags across Sudan were flown at half-mast, the VOA News added.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2020
On 14 December, the US embassy in Sudan's capital Khartoum revealed that Sudan had been officially removed from its list as a state sponsor of terrorism. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, described the removal as an essential advancement in terms of enhancing cooperation between the US and Sudan's transitional government. Sudan on the other hand, has also expressed its gratitude for the removal, as Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok added that it would make a positive impact on Sudan entirely. Spokesman of Turkey's foreign ministry Hami Aksoy in a statement, also praised the decision, maintaining that Turkey had long awaited for this moment.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2020
On 19 December, thousands of Sudanese protesters took to the streets to mark the two year anniversary of the protest movement which resulted in the overthrow of former ruler Omar al-Bashir. The major demand of the protesters was that the transitional government must bring about faster reforms, as they want to see a rapid change in the current economic situation in the country. Some protesters, on the other hand, demanded the dissolution of the entire ruling coalition, including the sovereign council and the cabinet. In anticipation of the protests, major roads and streets linking to the government and military headquarters were all shut down by the Sudanese security forces, according to The Washington Post.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2020
Despite thousands of protesters marching in the capital Khartoum, reports have shown that protests also took place in Khartoum's twin city Omdurman, and across other cities in Sudan as well. Protesters who marched towards the presidential palace demanding a sit-in until a parliament is formed, were said to have been met with security forces who fired tear gas and sound grenades at the large crowd. No immediate casualties have been reported yet so far, the ABC News added.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2020
On 21 December, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed that the Sudanese security forces killed seven protesters while leaving at least 25 other people wounded during unrest in Eastern Sudan's Kassala on October 15, 2020. A 16-year-old boy was said to have been one of the people killed during the protests in which the security forces used live rounds to break up the gathering of protesters, Dabanga added. The HRW has called on the transitional government of Sudan to make sure that those behind the atrocities are brought to justice . They also blamed the police and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for firing at demonstrators, as most of the victims died from bullet wounds.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2020
On 26 December, tribal clashes erupted in South Darfur's Gireida, between the Masalit farmers and Fallata herders which left at least 15 people dead and dozens wounded. In West Darfur's El Geneina however, a student was reportedly shot dead. Following the heavy clashes, a large number of military forces were deployed to the region to seize weapons and capture those responsible for the violence, the governor of South Darfur state, Musa Mahdi announced.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2020
On 29 December, dozens of Sudanese protesters took to the streets of Omdurman to demonstrate against the killing of a pro-democracy activist, Bahaa Eddine Nouri. Reports have shown that Bahaa was grabbed earlier on December 16, from a cafe in Khartoum by unidentified men, in a vehicle that had no license plates, the Washington Post revealed. Subsequently, his body was discovered days later at a hospital morgue in Omdurman, which led to the massive protests. According to medical reports given to Sudan's attorney general, the victim was tortured to death in a paramilitary facility which is run by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2020
However, the head of the RSF's intelligence unit, including other officers who were part of Nouri's torture and capture, have either been apprehended or suspended, while an inquiry is being made into his death, according to the RSF spokesman, Brig. Gen. Gamal Goma. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), in response to the killing of Bahaa Eddine Nouri, has urged for renewed protests, provided the Sudanese government and the RSF are unable to take measures within a period of 15 days.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, December 2020
On 31 December, the UNAMID ended its peacekeeping mission in Darfur after 13 years. The Sudanese government is now liable for the security of citizens in the area, the mission added. However, after UNAMID's departure, the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), which is a UN political mission, is expected to be put in place in order to assist the Sudanese government in terms of disbursing aid and strengthening peace as well. Also, the withdrawal of the peacekeepers which commences in January, will be concluded within a period of six months, according to the UN.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, January 2021
On 24 January, several Sudanese protesters took to the streets of Khartoum to protest against the worsening economic situation in the country. Protesters were said to have burnt tires, set up barricades, and shut down streets across the capital Khartoum, including its twin city Omdurman, in an attempt to express their frustrations over the government's failure in tackling the numerous problems they've been facing. In an effort to break up the large gathering of angry protesters, the Sudanese police reportedly fired tear gas. Omar El Degeir, the President of the Sudanese Congress Party urged the Sudanese transitional to stop turning a blind eye on the increasing protests, they should rather try to tackle the economic situation and speak to the protesters as well.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2021
On 7 February, the Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok announced the dissolution of his cabinet. However, a new cabinet is expected to be revealed on Monday, according to the Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council's media office.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2021
On 8 February, a new cabinet of 20 ministers was announced by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. The leader of Darfur rebel group Gibril Ibrahim was said to have been named as the new finance minister, according to Al Jazeera. The position of foreign minister was handed to the leader of the famous Umma Party, Mariam al-Mahdi, Reuters added.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2021
Hamdok explained that despite all obstacles, the reshuffling of the cabinet is geared towards reviving the country and that he is confident they will succeed. Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement, expressed that Turkey is delighted with the attempt made by the Sudanese transitional government to reshuffle its cabinet and believes that it will strengthen the peace in Sudan.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2021
On 9 February, despite the creation of a new cabinet by the Sudanese government, protests reportedly erupted across several cities in Sudan, due to worsening living conditions. Security forces used tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters who destroyed government buildings, as well as burnt tyres on the main streets. Several markets in different cities were also said to have been looted.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2021
On 10 February, the new cabinet created by the Sudanese transitional government was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum by the head of the ruling Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, February 2021
On 21 February, in an attempt to tackle the deepening economic crisis in Sudan, the Central Bank of Sudan revealed the devaluation of the Sudanese currency. The move which was delayed for months, was carried out in line with the major demand made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other foreign donors. However, reforms of Sudan's customs exchange rate is still in progress, as it was not made a part of the devaluation, the Sudanese Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim maintained.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, March 2021
On 28 March, in an attempt to reach a lasting peace deal that will allow for the separation of religion and the state, the Sudanese government and a major rebel group from its southern Nuba Mountains signed a peace agreement. The agreement was signed in the capital of South Sudan Juba, by the chairman of the ruling Sovereign Council, Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, and Sudan Liberation Movement-North Sector (SPLM-N) leader, Abdul Aziz Alhilu, and is expected to enable the commencement of the final peace agreement. Following the signing of the peace agreement on Sunday, the major security challenge to the Sudanese transitional government is only one rebel group, which is a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA).


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, March 2021
On 31 March, the United States revealed that it had received a $335 million settlement from Sudan, as compensation for the victims of terror attacks. The move made by Sudan was part of a deal that was agreed to last year, which is supposed to facilitate the removal of Sudan from the United States terrorism list.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, April 2021
On 8 April, hundreds of Sudanese women were said to have taken to the streets in Khartoum, to protest against gender-based discrimination and better reforms. During the demonstration, one protester was reportedly wounded after being run over by a vehicle driver. Later, reports suggested that the driver had been apprehended by security forces. One of the key demands made by the demonstrators during the protest was that perpetrators of rape and women abuse domestically and outside should be held accountable by facing proper punishment.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, May 2021
On 11 May, hundreds of Sudanese protesters reportedly gathered outside the army headquarters in Khartoum to rally over the 2019 protest killings. In an attempt by the Sudanese protesters to break of the gathering of protesters, two people were said to have been killed, the Sudanese army revealed. According to testimonies from eyewitnesses, several others were wounded and many orders were detained, following the use of live ammunition by the Sudanese security forces. The protesters were sighted carrying banners and pictures of the victims of those killed two years ago, shedding tears as they demanded justice for them. The two people who were killed, were identified as Othman Badr al-Din and Mudathir Mukhtar, according to Altaghyeer Newspaper.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, May 2021
On 16 May, following the death of two protesters during an anniversary protest, some soldiers of the Sudanese army who are currently under investigation for the death of the two protesters, have been handed over to civilian prosecution. The chairman of the Sovereign Transitional Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane transferred over the findings of an investigation conducted by the armed forces, to the Attorney General, Tagelsir al-Hebr. Although the actual number of soldiers who were detained was not revealed, the chief prosecutor’s office maintained that seven soldiers were charged by the military for the direct involvement in the use of live ammunition.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, May 2021
On 19 May, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), confirmed that the Sudanese armed forces had applied unlawful and excessive force against protesters who gathered in front of the military headquarters in Khartoum, on May 11, 2020. The organization also added that Sudan’s Ministry of Health stated that two people were killed, while thirty-seven others were wounded.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, June 2021
On 9 June, the outgoing chief of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda, called on the Sudanese transitional government to hand over the three suspects alleged of war crimes, including former president Omar al-Bashir to the ICC. According to the chief, victims' messages from Sudan’s Zalingei, El Fasher, and Nyala, have all insisted that the suspects must be transferred to the ICC, by upholding outstanding warrants. Former interior minister and governor Ahmad Harun, should be immediately transferred, in order to be tried alongside Sudanese militia leader Ali Kushayb, Bensouda added.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, June 2021
On 10 June, several protesters took to the streets in Khartoum, to protest over the government’s removal of subsidies on petrol and diesel. The protesters were said to have set tyres ablaze and also shut down roads in the capital. According to the finance minister Jibril Ibrahim, the hike in prices is due to the import costs. Other cities across Sudan are also anticipated to be joining the protest and make it nationwide. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) has also threatened to organize street protests in rejection of the decision. However, the Sudanese government maintained that it would ensure that the gangs behind the road blockades are dealt with by the police and prosecutors.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, June 2021
On 15 June, the Sudanese PM Abdalla Hamdok expressed concerns over loyalists of the previous government inciting violence and civil war. He stated that the government will not accommodate those trying to sabotage the country, and that action would be taken according to the constitution.


2019–2021 Sudanese protests, Timeline, August 2021
On 5 August, six paramilitary officers were handed the death sentence by a Sudanese court, for the killing of six protesters in 2019. Out of the six protesters who were killed in the city of Al-Obeid in North Kordofan in 2019, four of them were believed to be schoolchildren. Apart from the six members of the paramilitary force who were sentenced to death, two more defendants were acquitted, and one other below the age of 18 was transferred to a juvenile court. However, there was no immediate confirmation on whether the six members would appeal against the death sentence.


2019–2021 locust infestation
The 2019–2021 locust infestation is a pest outbreak of desert locusts which is threatening the food supply across the regions of East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent. The outbreak is the worst in 70 years in Kenya and the worst in 25 years in Ethiopia, Somalia and India. The plague began in June 2019 and continued into 2020, although locust swarms have experienced steady declines in population and geographical reach from May to October, and as of November 2020, primarily found in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.


2019–2021 locust infestation
The current outbreak began when Cyclone Mekunu in 2018 produced heavy rains in the Rub' al Khali of the Arabian Peninsula; in Spring 2019, swarms spread from these areas, and by June 2019, the locusts spread north to Iran, Pakistan, and India and south to East Africa, particularly the Horn of Africa. By the end of 2019, there were swarms in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Oman, Iran, India, and Pakistan. By June 2020, a separate swarm appeared in South America, affecting Paraguay and Argentina.


2019–2021 locust infestation
In April 2020, travel and shipping restrictions precipitated by the spread of COVID-19 began to hamper efforts to control the locusts, preventing the transport of pesticides, equipment, and personnel, and contributing to the global incidence of COVID-19 related food insecurity.


2019–2021 locust infestation
Locust swarms worldwide faced a steady decline in size from May to October, as countries and intergovernmental organisations have instituted extensive aerial and ground pest control efforts aided by low quantities of rainfall in several affected regions and the absence of storm activity in the Indian Ocean. As of October 2020, only Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Yemen harbour significant swarms of gregarious locusts, with the remainder of the population situated in isolated pockets in Kenya, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia. While locust swarms continue to threaten countries around the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as their immediate neighbours, they are not expected to return to countries east of the Arabian Peninsula, nor to those west of Sudan.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Causes
When periods of heavy rainfall follow periods of relative drought, solitary desert locusts emerge to feed on new-growth foliage and lay eggs in the newly moist soil, which prevents them from drying out. The sight and smell of other locusts, as well as sensory stimulation from contact between locusts' hind legs, precipitates changes in the locusts' behaviour and morphology; the previously green, nocturnal and solitary creatures become larger, develop black-and-yellow colouring, and begin to seek out other locusts, a process known as gregarization.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Causes
These changes result in the formation of large locust swarms that gregarize nearby locusts and breed profusely, allowing them to undergo rapid, exponential growth. The swarms proceed to feed on the newly abundant vegetation, making use of improved swarm coordination, the result of larger brain sizes, as well as increased range, the result of increased metabolic activity, larger muscles, and longer wings, to travel up to 130 km a day in search of new vegetation and moist weather, often propelling themselves by the wind.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Causes
This particular desert locust plague traces back to May 2018, when Cyclone Mekunu passed over a vast, unpopulated desert on the southern Arabian Peninsula known as the Rub' al Khali, filling the space between sand dunes with ephemeral lakes, which allowed locusts to breed undetected. This was exacerbated in October 2018 by Cyclone Luban, which spawned in the central Arabian Sea, moved westward, and rained out over the same region near the border of Yemen and Oman.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Causes
The Indian Ocean Dipole, an irregular oscillation in sea surface temperatures between the western and eastern parts of the Indian Ocean, has increased in magnitude due to the effects of climate change. This shift has resulted in increased cyclone activity over the last decade in the Persian Gulf, previously home to very few cyclones, and is associated with flooding in countries along the western Indian Ocean, dry weather in the east, and bushfires in Australia.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Causes
The two cyclones created conditions conducive to mass locust reproduction, enabling three generations of locusts to breed over a nine-month period, which increased their number in the Arabian desert roughly 8,000-fold.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries
Locust swarms have infested 23 countries as of April 2020. East Africa is the epicenter of the locust crisis—with Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda among the affected countries. However, the locusts have traveled far, wiping out crops in Pakistan and damaging farms in Yemen, a fragile country already hit hard by years of conflict.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa
By the summer of 2019, swarms had reached over the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden into Ethiopia and Somalia, where they continued breeding and started causing concerns. This might have been as far as the locusts got were it not for the fact that during October 2018, East Africa experienced unusually widespread and intense autumn rains, which were capped in December by a rare late season cyclone Pawan that made landfall in Somalia. These events triggered yet another spurt of reproductive activity.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa
In January 2020, the outbreak was affecting Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and Burundi. The infestation "presents an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods in the Horn of Africa," according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Rising sea surface temperatures (cf. the Indian Ocean Dipole) tip the scales in favor of circulation patterns like the one that set the stage for the desert locust outbreak. Keith Cressman, senior locust forecasting officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization said, he thinks, "we can assume there will be more locust outbreaks and upsurges in the Horn of Africa.” The situation was fueled by unusually heavy rains, causing a big concern in the Horn of Africa, where more than 24 million people are food insecure and 12 million people are internally displaced. Favourable conditions for the locusts prolonged the menace through January 2021.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Kenya
On 28 December 2019, several large, immature swarms were first reported to have crossed into Kenya from Somalia, entering through the towns of Mandera and El Wak. Heavy rains over the preceding short rain season (October–December) created an environment conducive to locust breeding, and over the next two months the swarms spread and matured, infesting 21 counties by the end of February and reaching Kenya's borders with Uganda and Tanzania.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Kenya
By then, the plague was Kenya's worst locust outbreak in over seventy years, affecting approximately 70,000 hectares (172,973 acres) of land, and leading the country's agriculture minister to state that authorities were unprepared for an infestation of such scale. Over the next three months, particularly favourable rains caused locust swarms to migrate to the north-western counties of Kenya, and by mid-May, cumulative crop and pasture losses were estimated at between 5-15 percent in northern Kenya and 1-5 percent in south-eastern Kenya.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Kenya
However, low levels of rainfall in May, in conjunction with both new and continued ground and aerial pest control initiatives, led to the locust population, which had been stagnant over the preceding two months, declining, with reduced average swarm sizes and a less widespread distribution of locusts, which were, by then, primarily resident in the north-western counties of Turkana and Marsabit.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Kenya
Continued low rainfall and the relative lack of greenery in north-western Kenya resulted in a progressive decline in both swarm size and overall population from June to September, resulting in reduced levels of locust maturation, which placed much of the remaining locust population in recession. As of October 2020, a few small (1–10 km2) swarms, slowly maturing at the border between the north-western counties of Baringo, Laikipia, and Samburu, are the only remaining gregarious locust populations in the country.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Somalia
Somalia’s agriculture ministry called the outbreak a national emergency and major threat to the country’s fragile food security, saying the “uncommonly large” locust swarms are consuming huge amounts of crops. Combating the crisis isn't likely to be easy, especially in Somalia, where parts of the country are in the grip of the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group. Desert locusts are breeding in the regions of Galmudug (Mudug), Puntland and Somaliland. Over the next six months, projections indicate that more than 100 000 hectares of land will require direct control interventions in Somalia.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Eritrea
In swarms the size of major cities, the locusts also have affected various parts of Eritrea. The military and general public have been deployed to combat the crisis according to Eritrea's Agricultural Ministry. In Eritrea, big swarms of immature adults that migrated from Ethiopia, were identified and controlled around Shieb, Gahtielay, Wengebo and Beareze of the Northern Red Sea Coast. Moreover, the swarms of Tree Locust have been detected in Tserona, Mai-seraw, Quatit and Digsa districts of Southern Eritrea.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Ethiopia
The locusts also are heading towards Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous country, in that nation's worst outbreak in 25 years. Some residents were surprised to find the locusts inside their living rooms.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Ethiopia
According to the Agriculture Ministry officials, the relatively few locusts reaching Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa are “leftovers” from the “massive invasion” in the eastern and southern parts of the country. Spraying is being conducted around the city to stop the outbreak from spreading elsewhere. Millions of people in this country already cope with the constant risk of drought or flooding,


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Ethiopia
The desert locust infestation in Ethiopia has deteriorated, despite ongoing ground and aerial control operations. Hoppers have fledged, and an increasing number of small immature and mature swarms have continued to devour crop and pasture fields in Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, and Somali regional states. In Amhara, some farms have registered nearly 100 percent loss of teff, a staple crop in Ethiopia. Moreover, eggs are hatching profusely and forming hopper bands in the Somali region, due to the heavy rainfall.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Ethiopia
Despite major control and prevention operations, substantial crop losses have already occurred in the Amhara and Tigray regions of Ethiopia. The hopper bands (young locust populations moving together) have covered nearly 430 square kilometres and have consumed about 1.3 million metric tonnes of vegetation over a two-month period. The formation of bands is ongoing in the rangelands of the Ethiopian Somali Region; and massive new swarms will arrive from Yemen and Somalia. A swarm even forced an Ethiopian passenger plane off course in December.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Ethiopia
Food ran out for the nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray, which was partially caused by the Tigran War.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Uganda
They are now heading toward Uganda and fragile South Sudan, where almost half the country faces hunger as it emerges from civil war. Uganda has not had such an outbreak since the 1960s and is already on alert. Uganda has not had to deal with a locust infestation since the ’60s so there is concern about the ability for experts on the ground to be able to deal with it without external support, This week Uganda’s prime minister told agriculture authorities that “this is an emergency and all agencies must be on the alert,” the government-controlled New Vision newspaper reported.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, South Sudan
They are also now heading towards South Sudan, where almost half the country faces hunger as it emerges from civil war. They have not had such an outbreak since the 1960s and is already on alert. In a country like South Sudan, where already 47% of the population is food insecure this crisis would cause devastating consequences.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Djibouti
The Government of Djibouti estimates that the damage caused by the desert locust infestations on vegetation cover (crops and pastures) have already caused a loss of around US$5 million for the six regions of the country. In Djibouti, it is estimated that over 1,700 agropastoral farms across the country and nearly 50,000 hectares of pastureland have been destroyed by the swarms.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Africa, Djibouti
The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have both stated that the phenomenally heavy rains have contributed to not only the devastating 2019 Burundi landslides, but also a "serious and widespread desert locust outbreak". The Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa (the DLCO-EA which Burundi is not member to) noted the necessity for urgent and decisive action from all partners, as well as the resources to support large-scale ground surveys, aerial spraying services, provision of chemicals, information dissemination, and further capacity building for control operations.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Arabian Peninsula
Cyclones in May and October 2018 brought heavy rains that gave rise to favourable breeding conditions in the Empty Quarter of the southern Arabian Peninsula for at least nine months since June. Some countries like UAE and Iraq have seen small hopper groups but the situation is under control in these regions.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Arabian Peninsula, Yemen
In January 2019 one of the first swarms reached Yemen and it became one of the first breeding grounds for the desert locusts and caused them to spread more.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia
From January to June 2019 the locusts started to enter Saudi Arabia. They have so far tried a lot to control the locusts.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia
After June 2019 swarms invade the Indo-Pakistan border from Iran and up to three generations occur due to longer than normal monsoon, giving rise to large numbers of swarms.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia, Pakistan
Since June 2019, the locust outbreak has been impacting eastern Pakistan. In November 2019, Karachi saw the first locust attack in the city since 1961.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia, Pakistan
On 29 January 2020, the provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government declared emergency in nine southern districts of the province to control the spread of locusts. The emergency was declared in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Karak, Kohat, Hangu, North and South Waziristan districts.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia, Pakistan
On 1 February 2020, the Pakistani government declared a national emergency to protect crops and help farmers.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia, Iran
In Iran, as with the rest of the Asian countries, the locust started arriving in the first six months of 2019. Heavy rains in southwest Iran exacerbated the situation. The control operations have been less successful in Yemen and Iran.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia, India
The swarms in India came from Iran and Pakistan, but the situation has been brought under control with the help of pesticides and specialist equipment. Although extent of damage is to be assessed but there's no major loss. A number of timely measures and a change in wind direction have prevented a spread and large-scale damage to the rapeseed and cumin seed crops, the officials said. The outbreak began late 2019 in Gujarat and Rajasthan.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia, India
Three villages in Gujarat's Banaskantha district, which shares a border with Pakistan's desert areas, came under fresh locust attacks in January (2020). In Gujarat, locust attacks in December(2019) damaged crops, mainly rapeseed and cumin seed, planted on about 17,000 hectares. Parts of western Rajasthan have destroyed crops spread over at least 350,000 hectares of land. The districts adversely affected by the large scale coordinated attacks by locusts include Sri Ganganagar, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Churu and Nagaur. India has been able to bring swarms of desert locusts under control in two key oilseed producing states.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia, India
In May, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, parts of India such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were severely affected by locust swarms measuring a kilometer wide, the worst locust attack in 27 years. On 27 June 2020, millions of locusts swarmed on a massive scale in Gurgaon, Delhi-NCR region, made look like a sand storm in the sky.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South and South-West Asia, Nepal
Swarms of the locusts were reported to have entered Nepal in late June 2020, with damage to crops in Parbat Mahashila.


2019–2021 locust infestation, Affected countries, South America, Argentina
On 17 June 2020, a swarm reached Argentina from Paraguay, reaching the Corrientes Province and by 22 June, it was making its way into the Entre Ríos Province, destroying corn and cassava crops along the way, and the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.