Third week of Sudan mass protests

The campaign of protests and mass action across Sudan, sparked by the chronic shortage of cash and rising prices of bread and fuel, continue in towns and cities across the country for the third consecutive week.

In the meantime, Omdurman was preparing to conduct a peaceful march to deliver a memorandum demanding the step down of Al Bashir and his regime from power on Wednesday.

El Gedaref

Thousands of east Sudanese besieged El Gedaref Legislative Council to demand the withdrawal of Bashir, the overthrow of the regime, and punishment of the security officers who shot and killed protesters in El Gedaref in December.

Callers told Radio Dabanga from El Gedaref that the demonstration was launched on behalf of the people who were killed. The demonstrators shouted slogans in front of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) offices in the town denouncing corruption. They managed to reach the Legislative Council where the organisers planned to hand a memorandum demanding the resignation of Al Bashir.

Security and police agents confronted the crowds with excessive violence and tear gas detaining dozens of activists.

The sources described El Gedaref demonstration as unprecedented.

The memorandum of the opposition forces of El Gedaref called on the Legislative Council for the resignation of Al Bashir and all legislative and state council members. They demand the formation of a transitional government, according to the Declaration of Freedom and Change issued by the Sudanese Professionals Association and signed by all political opposition forces. The memorandum also called for the punishment of the killers of the martyrs of El Gedaref in December.

Northern State

Yesterday, hundreds of people in Abri in the Northern State demonstrated in front of the NCP advisory bureau to demand the ouster of Al Bashir and the overthrow of the regime.

A resident of Abri told Radio Dabanga that on Tuesday afternoon a demonstration came out and besieged the celebration of the NCP staff on the occasion of the arrival of the new locality commissioner to, chanting “The government must fall” and “No to the rule of the military” during which the commissioner was taken out of the place of the celebration. He pointed out that members of the security forces then attacked the protesters with tear gas and batons but the demonstrators confronted them and forced them to flee outside the area.

He pointed out that there were at least three injured including, Maaz Hasabo, Ahmed Hasan and Mohamed Kurdi who are now in the hospital.

He pointed out that a force of Rapid Support Forces arrived in the area. The militiamen were stationed in the premises of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and that the crowds are still in the streets.

Khartoum state

In Khartoum state, the third peaceful march of the political and civil forces signatory to the Declaration of Freedom and Change was planned take place in Omdurman on Wednesday. Opposition leaders intend to submit a memorandum calling for the immediate step-down of Al Bashir and his regime from unconditional rule of the country and the formation of a national transitional government for four years. Radio Dabanga continues to monitor the situation closely.

International community

Sarah Abdeljalil, the head of the Sudanese Doctors’ Union in the United Kingdom warned the authorities of the use of violence against the peaceful demonstrators. She drew the attention of the international community to the escalated use of violence, live bullets and tear gas against the demonstrators.

All opposition forces, political, civilian and armed groups, civil society organisations in addition to the allies of Sudan Call, the National Consensus Forces expressed support to the peaceful march of Omdurman on Wednesday to submit a memorandum to the Parliament calling for the overthrow of the regime and the immediate step down of Al Bashir from power.

SPLM-N

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction headed by Abdelaziz El Hilu (SPLM-N-El Hilu), called on all the Sudanese people and the members of the SPLM-N to participate effectively and without interruption in the peaceful demonstrations that are organised in all cities and towns of Sudan to overthrow this regime and the immediate step down of Al Bashir and his regime from power.

Komi Kumundan, leading member of the rebel movement in South Kordofan said there is no way other that toppling the regime, pointing out that the cost of it stay in power is greater than the cost of its going, which requires everyone to participate effectively in all peaceful demonstrations and processions announced until the overthrow of the regime to provide our people with freedom and stability and prosperity and progress.

Popular Congress Party

The opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP), founded by the late Dr Hasan El Turabi, has called for cancelling the march of support for Al Bashir to be organised by some of the National Dialogue parties in Khartoum on Wednesday, comparing it with the step of the “march of deterrence” organised by the Nimeiri regime a few days before its fall.

Leading PCP member Ibrahim El Kinani called on the NCP and its supporters not to go out in the march of support and called for the need to cancel it in order to preserve national unity.

Government employees

A government institution employee said she was surprised yesterday morning when she entered her office. She found a note to her and all employees of the institution requesting her to sign it to participate in the march supporting Al Bashir.

She told Radio Dabanga that they were informed that anyone who refuses to sign will be suspended from work. She denounced the procedure, and said the participation in the support march should be a personal choice rather than compulsory.

School students threatened

A mother of a student at a secondary school in Khartoum, said that the school administration asked her daughter and all the students to participate in supporting Al Bashir today and to cheer during the address of Al Bashir to the crowd.

The mother told Radio Dabanga from Khartoum that the school administration threatened students to deprive them of sitting for the trial period exams in case of not participating in the march to support Al Bashir in Khartoum today.