Protest march prevented by Sudanese security services

Agents of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, prevented a protest march to be held on Sunday.

Politicians and professionals planned to march to the offices of the Governor of North Kordofan, and hand a memorandum demanding the ousting of Al Bashir and his regime from power. Yet, many of them were detained before the demonstration could begin.

Witnesses reported to Radio Dabanga that the security forces mobilised large forces at Freedom Square, where the march was planned to begin.

Ali Abulgasim, Secretary of the National Umma Party (NUP) in North Kordofan, Yagoub El Dawaha, head of the NUP Political Bureau, and Ahmed Eisa, leading member the Ansar Affairs Association [followers of Imam El Sadig El Mahdi], were detained.

The sources said that security forces beat up and held a number of doctors in front of the El Obeid Teaching Hospital. Allegedly, six opposition party leaders and dozens of political activists and students were arrested in their homes. 

In response to the violent detention of their colleagues, the remaining doctors of the hospital have gone on strike. Many other doctors are going on strike across the countryin solidarity with ongoing demonstrations. The El Obeid department of the Sudanese Central Doctors Committee reported that Nada Eisa, Isar El Sharif, Mohamed El Mustafa, Mohamed El Mesbah, Omar Mahjoub, and Mohamed Abdelhady are among the medics who are detained.