Popular sit-ins continue in eastern, Kordofan and Darfur towns

The streets in front of the army’s General Command in Khartoum and in front of military units throughout Sudan have witnessed continuous sit-ins, with the demonstration in Khartoum lasting for eleven days in a row.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese people have continued their sit-in in front of the General Command of the Sudan Armed Forces in Khartoum, the command of the naval forces in Port Sudan, the Second Infantry in El Gedaref state, and military units in North Kordofan.

Meanwhile Central Darfur witnessed demonstrations that reached the military units of Bindisi and Mukjar.

Port Sudan

People in Port Sudan, the capital of Kassala state in eastern Sudan, continued their sit-in in front of the offices of the command of the Sudanese Navy's chief of staff. A number of protesters told Radio Dabanga that demonstrators in the sea port city are continuing their sit-in “despite the high temperature” – it is currently 31 degrees Celsius.

“There are still serious doubts among the people about the seriousness of the Interim Military Council and what is actually happening,” a demonstrator informed Radio Dabanga.

Previously, the local military commander in charge had addressed the crowd and asked them to leave the sit-in and continue with their everyday activities, which the people at the sit-in rejected.

North Kordofan

On Monday, the sit-in in El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan continued in front of the military command. Several protesters told Radio Dabanga that they would continue the sit-in “until the transitional military council proves its seriousness.

“There have been no changes in the continuation of the National Congress Party facades in Khartoum and no signs of dissolving them, including the militias, the National Sudanese Union of Youth and the National Student Union,” they complained.

As of Saturday people have also started a sit-in in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, despite several detentions.

El Gedaref

On Monday, a large group of residents in eastern Sudan’s El Gedaref town peacefully marched through the town market, demanding the release of all detainees.

A protester at the demonstration in front of the Second Infantry unit in El Gedaref reported to this station that a large number of young protesters, who have been detained by security forces during previous demonstrations, have not yet been released.

“Some of the youth were released on Sunday but others are still being held,” the protester said. “We will continue the sit-in here to achieve all the demands made by the demonstrators during the past four months.”

Central Darfur

On Monday, people who have been displaced by conflict in camps near Bindisi and Mukjar in Central Darfur took to the streets to call on the new military council to hand over power to the people and prosecute all those, including former president Omar Al Bashir, who committed crimes against the Sudanese people.

A camp sheikh in Bindisi told Radio Dabanga that the demonstrators held a protest march and arrived at the military garrison in Mukjar, where they where addressed by the commander of the garrison.

The sheikh said that the protesters from Mukjar and Bindisi have demanded the start of a trial against “the symbols of the regime led by Omar Al Bashir, responsible for genocide in Darfur”. In addition, they demand the speeding up of the disarmament of militia groups in Darfur, the expulsion of people who have forcibly settled on lands that were originally home to the displaced people, and compensation for all those who have been uprooted and displaced by the conflict in Darfur.

Demands

Opposition and demonstrating groups in Sudan have continued demonstrations, sit-ins and actions to demand a civilian-led government instead of the military transitional council that has replaced former president Omar Al Bashir after the Sudanese army committed a coup d’état on April 11.

Last Saturday, delegates of the forces of Declaration of Freedom and Change, one of the main drivers of the protests that started in December 2019, presented a list of points representing their perception of urgent steps to enhance trust between the parties, in a meeting with the military council.

The military council is yet to formally respond to those demands, but council member Gen Salah Abdelkhalig said after a meeting with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed today that the council has met many demands of the protesters, “but some of the demands of the protesters need time to answer”.