Former regime supporters seek insecurity in Khartoum
October 24, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – Supporters of the ousted regime tried to occupy the building of the Sudan News Agency and the Ministry of Information in Khartoum and close several strategic roads in the capital.
The Sudanese Islamists seek to take advantage of the ongoing rift between the civil and military components to destabilize the transitional period and bring down the Hamdok government.
On Saturday, a group of “remnants of the ousted regime’s” attempted to occupy the building of the Sudan News Agency to prevent a press conference for the leaders of the Freedom and Change Forces (FFC) but they fled after the police arrived at the agency’s headquarters.
The incident coincided with another attempt to take over the Ministry of Information building. The protesters broadcast a video where they declared that it would serve from now onwards as a sit-in media platform.
Issam al-Turabi, the son of the late Popular Congress Party leader, posted a video in which he appears with al-Hadi Mohamed Ahmed Koko who led the attack on the official news agency, blessing him and declaring that he was carrying his shroud with him and ready to die.
The Sudanese police expelled these assailants, but no lawsuit was filed against the attackers.
A climate of insecurity and lawlessness prevails in Khartoum after protests and a sit-in near the Sudanese presidency since the 16th of October by several former rebel groups, calling to dissolve the transitional government to expand it to the Popular Congress Party and a number of other political forces that had been allied with al-Bashir’s regime.
The head of the Sovereign Council al-Burhan also raised the same demand and called to dissolve the FFC-led government.
On Sunday morning, the supporters of the former regime escalated their action and attempted to block several main streets in Khartoum and prevented employees and workers from going to their workplaces.
Later, the Khartoum State governor directed the police to break up the barricades and open the roads.
“We directed the police, in the presence of the Public Prosecution, to open roads and deal decisively with this blatant violation (of public order) by the dissolved party’s supporters, to ensure the flow of traffic in the centre of the capital, and to take all necessary legal measures, reads a statement issued by Governor Ayman Khaled.
It is worth mentioning that there was confusion about who is behind the barricades as some reports said they were established by the supporters of the Presidential Palace’s sit-in.
The Ministry of Culture and Information said, in a statement on Saturday night that the “remnants” tried to close the southern entrance to the ministry noting that the northern and eastern entrances have been closed since last week due to the expansion of the FFC National Accord’s sit-in.
The statement further pointed to an incitement campaign against the Public Authority for Radio and Television by the supporters of the former regime “and others” saying they threatened to storm its headquarters.
The Ministry called on the concerned authorities to protect public institutions and ensure that they continue to perform their work and tasks.
(ST)