The ouster of Sudan's longtime dictator, Omar al-Bashir, was welcome news to many of Vermont's roughly 160 Sudanese residents.
Many faced extreme hardship as they fled a civil war executed by al-Bashir as a military commander and later president of the nation.
At age 10, the civil war forced Chol Dhoor to flee his home in Sudan. Today, Dhoor is founder and executive director of the Sudanese Foundation of Vermont.
"We have known him as a person who has destroyed our country, who has separated us, and who has killed a lot of people," said Dhoor. "People are happy that this man is gone."
Dhoor said he knows Sudan's future is far from certain. Still, he said the demonstrations and subsequent coup illustrate the power of the Sudanese people, and are "a victory for freedom."
