Sudanese in Kassala join anti-government protests

January 16, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Hundreds of Sudanese took to the street in Kassala for the first time on Wednesday joining the one-month protests across the country against the government of President Omer al-Bashir.

While a fact-finding committee for investigating the anti-government protests took the oath of office before the Sudanese president.

The security forces in Kassala fired tear gas on the demonstrators and arrested dozens after a significant protest in the eastern Sudan town where the government has imposed the state of emergency since last year.

Activists in Kassala described it as the largest demonstration in the far eastern Sudan town near the Eritrean border.

Like several other protests in the small or far areas, it was not announced by the national coordination body of the opposition groups.

Also, the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu released photos of a march in the streets of the rebel-controlled Koada town of South Kordofan.

Earlier, al-Hilu called on his supporters in the capital and other parties of Sudan to participate in the protests against al-Bashir saying it may deliver the country from the Islamist regime and allow to preserve Sudan’s unity.

In Khartoum where the government continue to downplay the scale of the protests, the members of the fact-finding committee on the demonstration took the oath of office.

Speaking to the press after the swearing-in ceremony, Sudanese Justice Minister and head of the committee, Mohamed Ahmed Salem reiterated the independence and neutrality of the investigation body.

Al-Bashir issued a decree to establish the faction finding committee on 31 December 2018 after the killing of 8 people in the bread protests.

(ST)