Sudan coup: FFC civil disobedience campaign resolute

The campaign of civil disobedience proclaimed by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) after a military coup led by Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, former chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, seized power on October 25, is being sustained by resistance committees, professional organisations, and trade unions across the country, causing many essential sector and institutions to grind to a halt. New protest marches are being planned.

The FFC – the main drivers of the revolution that overthrew the 30-year Al Bashir dictatorship in 2019 – have declared categorically that “there will no dialogue or negotiations with the putschists”.

The Bankers Association of Sudan announced a temporary suspension of the strike and sit-in effective Tuesday, “to ease the burden on the Sudanese public and disburse salaries and pensions”.

The Unified Doctors Office announced the continuation of the complete withdrawal of medics from military hospitals in the capital and the regions, which includes “all hospitals of the army, the police, and the security apparatus in its old and new form”.

The doctors also announced a strike in the state hospitals of the Ministry of Health, with a commitment to continue to cover emergencies and injuries in all departments, dialysis departments, as well as intensive care, cardiac care and all paediatric cases.

The Sudanese General Employers Federation renewed its call for civil disobedience, stressing its rejection of the military coup.

The Teachers’ Committee called on all teachers to continue comprehensive civil disobedience. They reported in a press statement on Tuesday, that the authorities dismissed the Director of the Ministry of Education of Khartoum state after his refusal to deal with the coup authority.

The coup authorities have issued a decision to resume studies for all levels in Khartoum state schools, starting on Sunday, 7 November.

Protest marches

Resistance Committees in Omdurman announced new protest marches on Thursday to reject negotiations, to bring down the coup, and hold the putschists accountable.

The Karary locality Resistance Committees Coordination said in a press statement on Tuesday that the schedule includes the continuation of civil disobedience, complete detours on the streets, and besides neighbourhood marches, calling for the overthrow of the coup.

A number of trade unions, including the Bankers Syndicate and the Bank of Sudan, announced the continuation of civil disobedience until next Saturday. Sunday and Monday will be working days, while the disobedience will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.