Sudan uprising: Protests in Khartoum, El Gezira, Northern State met with tear gas, arrests

The ongoing popular uprising in Sudan continued over the weekend, with new demonstrations calling for President Al Bashir and his regime to unconditionally step down. Protestors also defied the State of Emergency that came into force on Thursday. Ten separate demonstrations took place after Friday prayers in Khartoum and the states.

Demonstrators went out in seven districts in the Sudanese capital, in Wad Nubawi and Beitelmal in Omdurman, and in Khartoum III, El Lamab Nasir, Soba El Hilla, Kalakla, and Jabra in Khartoum, where the demonstrators chanted slogans calling for the regime’s departure, defying the declared emergency law and orders issued therein and condemning the killing and arrest of peaceful protesters.

Witnesses said that the security forces fired tear gas at the demonstrators in Wad Nubawi that caused serious injury to a child.

Residents of Kerma in Northern State, El Azazi and El Jadeed El Sawra in El Gezira state and Khashm El Girba in eastern Sudan went out in mass demonstrations after Friday prayers demanding the departure of the regime.

Activists told Radio Dabanga that the worshipers went out from the mosque of Kerma El Balad and chanted peaceful slogans.

They said the security forces used excessive violence against the peaceful protesters, pursuing them into districts until late on Friday, and carried out a large-scale campaign of arrests among youths, including Abdallah El Zubeir, Basil Haroun, and Abuhaneefa Farah.

#SudanUprising

Since mid-December last year, Sudan has experienced ongoing popular protests that have spread to towns and cities across the country.

Dozens of civilians have been killed, hundreds injured, and unknown thousands detained as the Sudanese security forces routinely respond to peaceful protests with tear gas, batons, and live ammunition.

The Sudanese Professionals Association and the forces signatory to the Declaration of Freedom and Change – major movers behind the popular uprising and protests – confirmed their unwavering commitment to the unconditional step-down of Al Bashir and his regime, the dismantling of repressive institutions, and the handover of power to a transitional civilian national government.

State of Emergency

Last week, Al Bashir declared a year-long State of Emergency in Sudan, and dissolved the federal government and state governments. In six Republican Decrees, Al Bashir dissolved the national Council of Ministers, assigned the Secretaries General and Undersecretaries of Ministries to run the work of their ministries, assigned a new ‘government of competencies’, relieved the Walis (governors) of the states, dissolved the governments of the states, and appointed high-ranking police, security, and military officers as the new Walis of the states.

The declaration, as well as the consequent restrictive Emergency Orders, have been met with widespread national and international concern and condemnation.

Al Bashir steps down as ruling NCP leader

Following a meeting of the Leadership Bureau of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday, which “reviewed the current political situation in the country”, Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir, delegated his powers as the head of the NCP to its recently appointed deputy head, Ahmed Harun, the former Wali (governor) of North Kordofan.