22 civilians dead as Sudan street protests grow

UPDATED – Bread, fuel, medicine, and cash shortages persist as street protests across Sudan enter their sixth day. At least 22 people have been killed, and widening protests were reported in several more Sudanese towns.

The most prominent new protests occurred in Um Rawaba in North Kordofan, Tirtir and Dibeibat in South Kordofan, and Kass and Buram in South Darfur. Demonstrations continued in Atbara and Khartoum, including the centre of Khartoum, El Soug El Arabi, Sulimaniya, and Jabal Awlia, as well as the areas of Um Dawanban, Kamlin and Rufaa in El Gezira.

Yesterday evening, Omdurman witnessed demonstrations during a match at El Hilal footfall stadium. The crowd chanted slogans calling for the government to be overthrown. After the match, the crowd took to the streets in a mass demonstration, which was severely repressed by the security forces, accompanied by beatings, intensive use of tear gas, and large-scale arrests.

Then thousands marched towards the Military Hospital near the bridge leading to Khartoum.

NUP head: ‘22 killed thus far’

On Saturday, the head of the National Umma Party, El Sadig El Mahdi, said in a news conference in Omdurman that 22 people have been killed so far during the demonstrations that took place in 28 towns and hundreds were detained during these demonstrations.

Yesterday, Paris in France, Sydney in Australia, and London in the UK witnessed demonstrations by Sudanese expats in those countries in support of the peaceful demonstrations in several cities in the country where the security forces used excessive force that led to the death and wounding dozens.

South Darfur

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga from Kass in South Darfur that a demonstration, led by students, was faced by police and security forces with excessive force, batons, and tear gas intensively, causing suffocation among protesters, this in addition to the arrest of a number of demonstrators.

Witnesses said that the authorities in Kass were backed by large groups of Rapid Support Forces, Sudan’s main militia, that protected the offices of the national security service, the official institutions and the house of the commissioner.

The morning demonstration also led to the closure of all state institutions and the market in Kass.

On Saturday, Buram in South Darfur saw student demonstrations which were quickly joined by residents of the town. Protesters stormed the National Congress Party building in Buram, but the police and security services intervened quickly and opened dense fire into the air, preventing it from being destroyed.

Witnesses said security forces arrested a number of people in Buram yesterday.

East Darfur

Agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Ed Daein in East Darfur held teacher Eisa Manzoul from El Nukhba Secondary School before being releasing him later, while journalist Khalifa Kusheib, activists Abubakar Jabreldar, Abdelmajid Hasan, and Nadia Bilal and lawyer Mohamed Bagan were summoned to the NISS office in Ed Daein where they were interrogated about demonstrations in the city on Friday.

Schools closed

North, South, and West Darfur, and North and South Kordofan have suspended study at all educational levels from Sunday to an unspecified time.

El Fasher University and Nyala Universities also suspended study in all faculties.

In Ed Daein in East Darfur, the state Ministry of Education suspended the study of the basic and secondary stages starting from Sunday for the period of one week.

The decision excluded the schools in the other localities.

Warning from retired senior army officer

A retired senior officer in the Sudan Armed Forces sent a message to President Omar Al Bashir, Vice President Bakri Hasan Saleh, Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Ahmed Bin Auf and all the military commanders in power to step down and transfer the government to the people of Sudan in compliance with the will of the masses.

Brig (Retd) Abdelgader El Sunni said in his letter: “You betrayed us first and then you failed the Sudanese people, and you put the country back. The retired brigadier said in his letter to the army, to his colleagues, and Al Bashir and Saleh and the military commanders in charge of the matter. He pointed out that there are many officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the armed forces who see what the masses see and inevitably support their people.

“I say to you, colleagues, comply with the will of the masses and transfer the rule to the people of Sudan after you have tried and failed and put the country at loss”.