Sudan, Khartoum – Thousands of Sudanese flocked to the streets to mark the anniversary of the widespread upheaval that led to the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, as well as to protest the military’s continued hold on power.
On Wednesday, rallies were held in Khartoum and outside the capital to commemorate al-removal Bashir’s and to express public outrage over a military coup in October that halted Sudan’s two-year transition to civilian rule.
Sudan’s economic position has deteriorated since the military seized power, with yearly hyperinflation approaching 250 percent.
“We’re going out today because we promised our martyrs that we’d fulfil the civilian state,” claimed 34-year-old protester Yousif Abdallah.
“What we are striving for at the moment is the civilian state, with its diversity,” said Abdallah, a member of Sudan’s activist “resistance committees” network that mobilised against al-Bashir’s leadership.
In Khartoum, police allegedly shot tear gas at protestors, and soldiers, razor wire, and hundreds of military vehicles surrounded the military’s headquarters in the capital.
Protesters gathered for months at the headquarters in 2019, and it’s uncertain whether demonstrators will attempt to launch another sit-in this year.
In June 2019, when a huge pro-democracy sit-in was organised against a military council that seized control after deposing al-Bashir, hundreds of protestors were killed in a brutal crackdown by security forces.
“No to partnership and no to recognition of the army,” Sajida al-Mubarak, a 22-year-old medical student, told News Agency.
“We’re going to tell the troops to go back to their barracks and leave politics to the civilians,” she stated.
While opponents accuse the resistance committees of being unreasonable in their goals, members of activist networks insist that the military coup must be stopped.
“We can only keep resisting; everytime they repress us, we simply resist,” said Mohamed Tahir, a spokesman for Khartoum State’s resistance groups.
“It’s a choice between dying for what you believe in and winning,” he remarked.
Apart from al-Bashir’s removal following the 2019 protests, April 6 also commemorates the day in 1985 when Sudanese people took to the streets against former President Gaafar Nimeiry, who was also deposed.
