Sudan’s Prime Minister reiterates police duty to protect peaceful protests

November 28, 2021 (KHARTOUM)  – Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok reiterated that the police forces have to ensure the right to peaceful protest during the transitional period.

Hamdok on Sunday met with the newly appointed Director-General of the Police Forces Anan Hamed Mohamed Omer, and his Deputy, Mudassir Abdel Rahman Nasr al-Din Abdallah.

“During the meeting, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the police forces to ensure the success of the civil democratic transition through protecting the rights of expression and peaceful demonstration as a fundamental right,” reads a statement his office released after the meeting.

Hamdok fired the former police chief and his deputy after the death of 42 people during the anti-coup protests as a result of the excessive use of forces to disperse the demonstrations.

The Resistance Committees plan to hold a second protest since his release on the 30th of November to express their rejection of the Hamdok-Burhan deal and to support a civilian-led transition in Sudan.

The Director of the Police Forces affirmed the launch of a training plan aiming at increasing the police capabilities and modernizing them in a comprehensive manner, including and protecting the exercise of the right to peaceful expression, the statement added.

The former regime of Omer al-Bashir neglected the national police forces and developed its own militias including the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Popular Police, and Popular Defence Forces.

During the recent anti-coup protests, the military authorities deployed joint forces to disperse the protests. The police worked with the RSF and fighters of former Darfur rebel groups.

Nonetheless, the coup leader said only the police fired on the protesters.

(ST)