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Today we kick off a new feature called Backstory, a series of in-depth biographies of some of the most important people in the world. In each episode, we’ll learn about the lives behind the headlines. Today we’ll turn our attention to Omar Hasan al-Bashir, the ruler of Sudan. He’s the president of largest country in Africa, and the site of one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Robert O. Collins, professor of history, emeritus, of the University of California Santa Barbara, joins us.