Sudanese security forces have carried out heavy crackdowns in recent days to crush the remaining unrest, six months after a coup that brought a military regime to power in the unstable strategic country.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. The violence followed an equally harsh response to the weekend’s demonstrations. A total of 113 people have been injured and one has died in recent days, according to doctors.
Since the coup in October last year, ninety-six protesters have been killed and more than 1,500 arrested.
Security forces have carried out a wave of arrests aimed at resistance committees, a network of informal associations that have organized most of the protests. Nazim Siraj, a prominent pro-democracy activist known for organizing medical care for injured protesters, was arrested on Sunday.
“In recent days, arrests have increased. Two of ours [resistance] committee were taken over the weekend. There have been many other people taken. We’re keeping a low profile these days, ”said Yousef Abdallah Adam, a 35-year-old painter and decorator who heads a pro-democracy“ resistance committee ”south of Khartoum.
Legal representatives said 80 people associated with the protest movement had been detained in less than two weeks. Many have been dispersed to prisons across the country, often hundreds of miles from home.
“Authorities believe the wave of arrests will have an impact on the momentum of the protests, but the resistance committees will continue to exercise their right to protest peacefully despite pressure on them,” said Osman Basri of the Association. of Khartoum Emergency Lawyers. . “They will not stop until they get a civilian government.”
The October coup came two-and-a-half years after the 2019 popular uprising that brought down the fall of veteran dictator Omar al-Bashir and derailed Sudan’s passage of a deal. power in democracy. It sparked mass protests, with large crowds on the streets of cities across Sudan denouncing both the military takeover and a subsequent deal that was re-established by Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok but sidelined the pro-democracy movement. Hamdok resigned in January, saying he could not work with the army.
Sudanese protesters take to the streets of Khartoum. Photo: AFP / Getty Images
While this weekend’s protests were the biggest for a while, the pro-democracy movement is struggling to mobilize large crowds.
In Omdurman, hundreds of young people mainly gathered on Shaheed Abdul Azim Street throughout the afternoon carrying flags, playing drums and singing protest songs. They blocked traffic with stones and burned tires. Some wore plastic helmets or goggles.
Many had been injured in previous demonstrations and the mood was challenging. “I was protesting against Bashir, then against the government, and against the coup. We are many and we will win, “said Momin Ahmed, 27, who has not yet regained full use of an arm after being shot earlier this year.
Ijlal Syed Bushera, 43, said the protest movement would eventually win. “Even if they die more and we are driven by trucks, we will be here until we achieve the goals of the revolution,” Bushera told the Guardian.
Two hours later, police entered, firing tear gas and loading vehicles to disperse unarmed protesters running through the side streets, coughing and crying.
Activists admit that repression and holidays during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have made it difficult to organize large protests, but also say they have changed the tactics of mass rallies to focus on smaller, more localized demonstrations.
Observers say the unrest that ended Bashir after 30 years in power began with small but repeated protests, but grew as the economy collapsed in the last months of the Islamist autocrat government.
The seizure of military power in October prompted international donors, including the United States and the World Bank, to halt significant amounts of economic assistance and debt relief in Sudan. Economic chaos threatens, with millions already facing severe food shortages and rising inflation.
Earlier this week, the US government warned US companies and individuals to deal with Sudanese state-owned or army-controlled companies.
The new council “shows the costs of the Sudanese army for not ceding power to a credible, civilian-led transitional government,” U.S. officials said.
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Recent repression has been condemned by international and regional powers. The African Union and the UN mission in Sudan called on the authorities “to stop the violence, release all detainees, including members and leaders of the resistance committees, stop all arrests … lift the state of emergency i [conduct] credible investigations … into all violent incidents “.
Khartoum Governor Ahmed Othman Hamza has praised the role of security forces in maintaining security and stability.
Sudan’s Central Medical Committee said the injuries had been caused by live ammunition, stun grenades, stones and moving vehicles in recent days. They include limb fractures, bullet wounds and tear gas breathing difficulties.