Sudan sit-ins against insecurity, corruption, and economic crisis

People living in the Tandelti administrative unit in Sirba in West Darfur continued their sit-in for the fourth consecutive day, protesting against insecurity and insufficient basic services.

Adam Ibrahim, one of the organisers of the sit-in in front of the police station of Tandelti, said that the sit-in demands better protection against violence in the locality and the removal of the Sirba Security Committee, that consists of army officers, Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries, and police officers.

The protesters also demand protection of the agricultural season, rule of law, more army and police presence, collection of weapons, banning of motorcycles, elimination of organised crime on the Tandelti-El Geneina road, and improvement of basic services.

Kadugli

In Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan, members of Resistance Committees carried out a vigil in front of the state secretariat yesterday. They protested against the participation of affiliates of the former Al Bashir regime in a workshop, organised by the Sudanese Ministry of Religious Affairs in cooperation with civil society organisations, on the role of religions in spreading a culture of tolerance and peace.

A participant of the vigil told Radio Dabanga that the workshop was attended by members of the Zakat (Muslim alms) Chamber, the Islamic Call High Council, and the Abu Kershola Organisation for Peace and Development.

The protesters raised banners denouncing the practices of the former regime, including “Whoever kills children and women, and displaces families does not know anything about tolerance”, and “Those who caused the country's disasters are not worthy of talking about social peace”.

El Gedaref

Members of the Resistance Committees in El Gedaref gave the state government 72 hours “to search for radical solutions to the economic crisis” and “activate the role of the Empowerment Removal Committee*” in the state.

At a protest vigil organised in front of the El Gedaref Ministry of Finance and Investment, the participants carried banners denouncing “the stifling fuel and bread crisis”. They demanded that the state government impose the rule of law, and control commodity prices at the markets.

They also demand the dismissal of several directors of state ministries, who are affiliated with the ousted regime of Omar Al Bashir.

Kassala

The Kassala Teachers' Committee organised a sit-in in front of the state's Ministry of Education to demand the dismissal of the state Minister of Education, whom they accuse of corruption.

Some 200 teachers participated in the protest. They also demanded the replacement of directors of departments and principals of schools “who have nothing to do with the December Revolution” and who were recently appointed “without observing the required protocols”.

* The Empowerment Elimination, Anti-Corruption, and Funds Recovery Committee was established by the new government in the end of last year, with the aim to purge Sudan of the remnants of the Al Bashir regime. Empowerment (tamkin) is the term with which the ousted government of Omar Al Bashir supported its affiliates in state affairs by granting them far-going privileges, including government functions and the setting-up of various companies.

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