Nick Coghlan was Canada’s first resident diplomat in Khartoum, Sudan, from 2000-2003. He later served as Canadian ambassador in Juba, South Sudan, after that country was founded in 2011. Nick and Jenny, his wife, were awarded the Meritorious Service Cross for their role in the evacuation of Canadian citizens from Juba after civil war broke out in 2013.
Nick is the author of Far in the Waste Sudan (McGill-Queen’s, 2005), Collapse of a Country: A Diplomat’s memoir of South Sudan (McGill-Queen’s, 2017), and several books about sailing.
The current civil war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 and shows no sign of abating, with 10.7 million people displaced, 150,000 people dead, and 26 million “at risk of acute hunger”.
The country is also the object of foreign interest, with China, Russia and the United States all competing for influence.
Can disaster be averted in this often overlooked but strategically important part of the world? And if so, by whom?
The salon will be moderated by Carolyn McAskie, also a former Canadian ambassador (and the former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support).
Although members-only salons are offered for free, donations are very welcome on the night. Please bring some cash for this purpose!