115th protester killed in Sudan, Hausa demonstrate against violence

Young protester Abubakir Mutasim was killed during demonstrations calling for peaceful co-existence in Omdurman yesterday. The anti-junta sit-in in El Fitihab, Omdurman, has been lifted. Earlier this week, members of the Hausa tribe demonstrated in a number of cities against the violence in Blue Nile state.

The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors reported that Mutasim, nicknamed Gheima (cloud), was hit by live ammunition in the chest.

“With this, the total number of our martyrs [in Khartoum] after the coup of October 25 [last year] reached 115,” the doctors stated.

The demonstrations were called for by the Khartoum state Resistance Committees Coordination in protests against the fierce clashes in Blue Nile state last week which reportedly left more than 180 people dead, hundreds wounded, and tens of thousands displaced.

The resistance committees in greater Khartoum have called for another, “central demonstration” on July 31.

Yesterday, activists announced the lifting of the anti-junta protest sit-in at Siraj, renamed Martyr El Rousi by the protesters, in El Fitihab in southern Omdurman.

Yesterday as well, four anti-junta protesters charged with disturbing the public order were summoned by the Northern Khartoum Court. among them was Noureldin Tareg who was killed earlier this year.

The judge then annulled the complaint against all four.

Hausa

Hausa living in Port Sudan, El Gedaref, Sennar, Rabak, El Obeid, and Khartoum staged demonstrations to protest against the violence in Blue Nile state last week.

Contrary to the protests in Kassala on Monday, during which young Hausa torched government buildings, the marches went peacefully.

The demonstration in Khartoum that was launched from the poor southern district of Mayo on Tuesday was dispersed by tear gas.

Activists tweeted that the demonstrators did not receive much support. “It was heart-breaking to watch the Hausa march alone. I expected more people to show up and tell them “you will never walk alone”, “we’re all Hausa” as the Resistance Committees usually do, instead I noticed a lot of hostility and outright racism,” one of them said.

The Hausa in Sudan are part of the Hausa ethnic group, which is very influential in West Africa, politically and culturally. The Hausa have been heavily involved in long distance trading for many centuries. In the process of traveling and trading, some of them migrated east to places like Sudan – where they are still seen by many as outsiders.