Sudanese authorities disperse demonstrators in Khartoum as protests enter 3rd month
February 14, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese riot police and security forces broke up a march of hundreds of Sudanese in Khartoum on Thursday and prevented them from moving to the presidential palace after firing tear gas and arrested several demonstrators.
Since last December, the Sudanese capital and a number of cities in other regions have been holding continuous protests demanding that President Omar al-Bashir steps down.
This week, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) dedicated the weekly protest of Thursday to the “victims of wars and violations” and called for a protest to the presidential palace indicating meetings points in central Khartoum.
The authorities anticipated the gathering of activists and protesters and deployed the security forces in the Arab market area, central Khartoum, in the early morning well before the gathering of protesters scheduled at 01:00 pm.
Also, shops and business centres in Khartoum have been closed and the security forces occupied the whole downtown.
Following what, the security agents started systematic arrest of participants and activists who arrive in the area before to start the rally.
However, the demonstrators formed small groups in the neighbouring streets and chanted anti-government slogans “Freedom, Peace and Justice, the revolution is the choice of people” or “the people want to overthrow the regime”.
The security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Also, for the first time, the security authorities established a tent in Abu Jinzir Square where held the arrested protesters before to transfer them to the detention facilities.
Also, two journalists from Al-Tayyar newspaper Mohamed Ibrahim Nur and Nidal Ajieb were arrested for covering the protest.
Sudanese authorities say, the protests are illegal and the demonstrators are arrested for disturbance of the public order and tranquillity.
Similar protests in Khartoum neighbourhoods like Burri and suburbs as it was the case in Alshajara and Hamadab.
In Khartoum twin’s town of Omdurman of the other bank of the Nile, the authorities deployed an important number of security forces along Al-Arba’een and Al-Mouradda streets and closed it.
During the past two months, Omdurman and Burri organised the most powerful demonstrations and still represent a headache for the local authorities.
Also, the security authorities used the same method and dispersed the protesters before their gathering while arrested some others.
Protests were organised in the camps of displaced people in Darfur who rallied inside their camps.
According to the AFP, Zam Zam camp in North Darfur state was one of the areas of protests.
“We believe that people across the country are demonstrating on behalf of us, the victims of war in Darfur,” said Mohamed Issa a resident of Zam Zam camp.
The Sudanese Doctors Committee, a member of SPA and deploy medical teams to treat protesters, reported that several protesters have been wounded but their situation is stable.
During the night, the SPA which coordinates and organises the demonstrations called for more peaceful actions next week as the popular movement enters its third month.
(ST)