3 yıl önce

Sudan braces for massive demonstrations in support of civilian rule

Around one million people are expected on the streets of capital Khartoum and other cities to demand a democratic transition to civilian rule amid tensions between PM Hamdok’s government and the military

AFP

Sudanese protesters take to the streets in the capital Khartoum during a demonstration demanding the dissolution of the transitional government, on October 20, 2021.

An alliance of pro-democracy groups has called for protests on the streets of Sudanese cities in support of Sudan’s civilian-led government.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, SPA, called on people from all sectors to participate in the one-million marches planned for Thursday.

The SPA said there was an urgent need for a comprehensive democratic transition as the people of Sudan are tired of political crisis.

The call for protests came after an escalation between the government and the military as the army-aligned Sudanese protesters continued to rally for the fifth day, aggravating what Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok called the "worst and most dangerous crisis" of the country's precarious transition.

The pro-military protesters are demanding the dissolution of Sudan's interim government, saying it has "failed" them politically and economically.

وتحاول تقويضها في كل منعرج.

جماهير شعبنا الثائر،

نجدد موقفنا الثابت من السلطة الحالية، وهو عدم تمثيلها للثورة، بل وإبحارها عكس أماني الجماهير، ونؤكد أن الصراع الماثل بين أطرافها يدور حول تقسيم المناصب والامتيازات وخدمة المحاور الخارجية، ولا يمت لأهداف الشعب وتطلعاته في شيء.
— تجمع المهنيين السودانيين (@AssociationSd) October 20, 2021

US urges for peaceful protest

Organisers and supporters of Thursday's march have listed a number of demands, including an end to the former regime and its institutions, comprehensive and sustainable peace, and the formation of the Revolutionary Legislative Council.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called Sudanese to keep their protest peaceful.

In a tweet, he said that the US calls on the Sudanese people to exercise their right to assembly peacefully and without violence, consistent with the spirit of the transition.

The United States calls on the Sudanese people to exercise their right to assembly tomorrow peacefully and without violence, consistent with the spirit of the transition.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 20, 2021

The US Embassy Khartoum also encouraged demonstrators to be peaceful and remind them of the strong US support for Sudan’s democratic transition.

The U.S. Embassy is aware of calls for Sudanese citizens to demonstrate this Thursday to express their views on the current situation in Sudan. We encourage demonstrators to be peaceful and remind them of the strong U. S. support for Sudan’s democratic transition. pic.twitter.com/vaL1XsMDiO
— US Embassy Khartoum (@USEmbassyKRT) October 20, 2021

Rival Sudanese protest leaders on Wednesday urged their supporters to remain peaceful on the eve of a critical day of demonstrations over the fate of the country's fragile transition to civilian rule.

The demonstrations come as Sudanese politics reels from divisions among the civilian and military factions steering the rocky transition since Bashir was toppled and jailed in April 2019 following mass protests.

Sudan is run by a Sovereign Council, a military-civilian body that oversees the transition until elections slated for 2023, with the transitional government led by Hamdok, a former UN economist.

Sudan said last month it had thwarted a coup attempt that it blamed on both military officers and civilians linked to Bashir's regime.