Day 3 of Sudan civil disobedience: More newspapers seized

The civil disobedience campaign in Khartoum entered its third day with four newspapers less in the kiosks. Opposition groups are concerned about the safety of activists who have been detained by the Sudanese intelligence service.

The two daily newspapers El Jareeda and El Ayam saw their entire print-runs confiscated on Sunday, and again today. The copies of El Youm El Tali and El Tayyar were also seized from the printing presses. Journalists working for the dailies said that the security service most likely confiscated the papers because they covered the successful civil disobedience actions in Khartoum.

More empty streets in Khartoum on Tuesday during the civil disobedience actions (photo from social media)

Meanwhile the Sudanese Communist Party has called for the formation of popular resistance committees in all districts, to ensure the continuation of the mass resistance against the austerity measures. The secretariat of the opposition party released a statement yesterday, saying that the civil disobedience “is a step forward in the struggle against the regime”.

The Arab Coalition for Sudan and the Arab Network for Crises Media have shown their solidarity with the civil disobedience campaign, which has spread in Khartoum after calls for a nationwide strike for three days. Political activists used the hashtag #Sudan_Civil_Disobedience on social media to spread the calls.

Many residents of Khartoum responded on Sunday and declined to leave their homes in protest against the new austerity measures: the liberalisation of fuel prices and the US Dollar rate for several import goods. The cuts have caused huge price hikes in the country's transport, medicine and import markets.

Media bans 

In response, the Sudanese authorities banned the privately-owned Omdurman Broadcasting Channel on Sunday. The security apparatus threatened to close the Sudanese Television Channel 24 as well. At least two people, a young man and a woman, have been detained for posting video messages on social media; both separate incidents were related to the civil disobedience actions. 

The Arab Coalition for Sudan is “deeply concerned over the safety of the detainees”. “We have come to the knowledge that some of the detainees have been subjected to physical and psychological torture. Their families and lawyers have been denied the chance to see them or give them their belongings and medications.”

The coalition has held the government responsible for the safety of all the detainees and demanded their immediate and unconditional release or bringing them to a fair trial.