Curfew shortened in Sennar, eastern Sudan

On Monday, the government announced that the curfew which has been in place on residents of Singa, the capital of Sennar state, will be shortened by three hours.

Residents of Singa have been under curfew from 6pm to 4am since protests began there last week. Yesterday, residents of Singa said the state authorities announced that residents will now have to stay in their homes from 9pm to 4am. This announcement has come following growing discontent among residents of disruption of activities due to the curfew.

Activists told Radio Dabanga that authorities arrested a large number of activists in the towns and countryside of Sennar state over the past two weeks, amidst ongoing protests throughout Sudan calling for President Al Bashir to step down from power.

On Friday, residents of Khartoum, Sennar, and El Gezira took part in demonstrations called ‘Friday of Freedom and Change’ organised by the Sudanese Professionals Association, Sudan Call, the National Consensus Forces, and the Unionist Gathering. They demanded the immediate unconditional withdrawal of Al Bashir and his regime, and the formation of a transitional Government of National Unity to govern for four years.

In Singa, the demonstration began in El Gasr district after Friday prayers. People from other neighbourhoods joined them and headed towards the central market, and intervened security forces using tear gas and batons and bullets to disperse the demonstration. Witnesses said security troops cordoned off the mosque in the western district of Singa and prevented the worshippers there to join the demonstration.