Sudan Uprising: Sunday protests, ongoing strikes and detentions

Protests took place on Sunday throughout greater Khartoum, Abri in Northern State, and Wad Sulfab in El Gezira; meanwhile strikes continue in hospitals in Khartoum, Port Sudan, El Gedaref, Sennar, Singa, Kadugli, Kosti, El Duweim, Atbara, Shendi, El Damar, Dongola, El Fasher, Nyala, and El Geneina.

On Sunday, Sudanese people demonstrated in various districts of Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdurman to demand the immediate step-down of Al Bashir and his regime.

Lecturers of El Nilein University carried out a protest on the university campus in downtown Khartoum in support of the Sudanese revolt and condemnation of security forces’ killing, arrest and torture of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators.

The peaceful marches in Khartoum were in response to a call by Sudanese Professionals Association and other signatories of the Declaration of Freedom and Change. Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the security forces used tazers, batons, and tear gas against demonstrators.

Northern state

Demonstrations continued for the second month in Abri in Northern State demanding the step-down of Al Bashir and the overthrow of the regime.

Witnesses from Abri told Radio Dabanga that hundreds of people demonstrated in front of the locality office, to protest against the local commissioner meeting with members of the ruling National Congress Party. 

Witnesses said security and police forces confronted the demonstrators with batons, tear gas, and fired live ammunition into the air to disperse crowds.

El Gezira

In Wad Sulfab in El Gezira, dozens of youths demonstrated, demanding the overthrow of the regime, condemning the killing of peaceful demonstrators, and demanding freedom. 

The demonstrators chanted slogans for peace, justice and freedom, as well as condemning the killing of teacher Ahmed El Kheir by agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Khashm El Girba in eastern Sudan’s Kassala.

Darfur

In Darfur, the General Coordination for Displaced People and Refugees showed renewed solidarity with the current popular uprising in a statement. The organisation appealed to all Sudanese people to take to the streets and not to return to their homes until after the fall of the regime.

In a statement, the General Coordination called on the UN Security Council, the European Union, the Sudan Troika (USA, UK, and Norway) and human rights organisations to put pressure on Khartoum to stop excessive violence against the peaceful demonstrators.

Lawyers hold vigil

The Democratic Alliance of Lawyers will hold a silent vigil tomorrow in front of the Supreme Court in the centre of Khartoum in solidarity and support of the demonstrators in their constitutional right to peaceful protest.

A statement issued by the Lawyers’ Alliance on Sunday said that the protest before the Supreme Court comes in line with the submission of a memorandum to the head of the judiciary regarding the killing of protestors.

Pharmacists on strike

Pharmacies in hospitals in Khartoum announced a strike except for emergency and critical cases from Sunday to Tuesday in solidarity with the Sudan uprising, in response to calls of the Sudanese Professionals Association for strikes this week.

The pharmacists’ statement paid tribute to the martyrs of the revolution headed by medical doctor Babikir Abdelhamid and teacher Ahmed El Kheir. The statement also condemned the arrest of dozens of doctors and pharmacists in these legitimate protests, their suppression and targeting of civilian hospitals by the government’s military forces.

The Teachers Committee announced a full strike as of Sunday following the death of Ahmed El Kheir.

Doctors on strike

Yesterday, the doctors and specialists in Dongola in Northern State began an open-ended strike in solidarity with the doctors of Dongola Hospital.

Health workers told Radio Dabanga that the strike, which involved doctors and specialists in Dongola, was in solidarity with a strike by doctors at Dongola Hospital, which began on Thursday.

Strikes continued on Sunday in hospitals in Khartoum, Port Sudan, El Gedaref, Sennar, Singa, Kadugli, Kosti, El Duweim, Atbara, Shendi, El Damar, Dongola, El Fasher, Nyala, and El Geneina, according to Radio Dabanga sources.

A joint statement by the doctors confirmed the continuation of their strike until the fall of the regime. The statement said: “We will continue our peacefulness, which is our strongest and most valuable weapon that will not let us down and we will win.”

Further detentions

Security agents in Khartoum arrested Hadya Hasaballah, a university professor and human rights activist from her home on Saturday evening.

Her arrest coincided with the arrest of Hamid Idris, Deputy Secretary of El Ansar (followers of El Sadig El Mahdi) Affairs in El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, against the backdrop of the Friday sermon he delivered about freedom of expression in the Koran.

Lawyer Salaheldin El Nur has been detained by the security forces in Nyala, capital of South Darfur, since he was arrested on 27 January near the Nyala Central Court. Hundreds of leaders and members of political forces and peaceful demonstrators have been in the security forces’ detentions in Khartoum and the states.

On January 20, a group of six armed persons dressed in civilian clothes abducted Ahmed Abdalla Omer during a demonstration in Omdurman. The NISS denied arresting him when his family inquired about him. On January 29, he was released by the NISS, after writing a pledge not to participate in any demonstrations. The release was a result of a pledge (made on the same day) of the authorities to release all the detainees, yet, many others are still under detention and arrests are ongoing.