Sudanese opposition calls for third protest over prices hike
January 23, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese opposition forces Tuesday have called for a third protest against the rising prices by the end of the month and condemned the excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators and journalists.
On 16 and 17 January, the Sudanese opposition parties organised two protests against the increase of bread prices. The security forces violently dispersed the two protests and arrested a number of leading opponents from the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) and the National Umma Party (NUP).
The wave of arrests also included journalists and correspondents of international news agencies, an unprecedented move indicating the determination of the authorities to stop the protests and the media coverage that can contribute to its spread.
For their part, the political opposition groups, which put aside their divergences over negotiations with the regime, found encouraging the modest mobilisation for the two protests and vowed to continue to take to the street to overthrow the regime.
“The opposition will run the Great March of Salvation at 3:00 pm on Wednesday (January 31st) from the People’s Square in Khartoum North,” said a joint statement of the opposition groups released on Tuesday evening.
The statement stressed the continuation of protests and peaceful processions and all forms of civil resistance against what it dubbed as the “Starvation Budget.” in the Sudanese capital, the other states and the Diaspora.
“Mass response to previous protests called by on 16 January in Khartoum, and 17 January in Omdurman confirms the looming signs of a great mass rise, and we must redouble effort to reach the goals of the Sudanese people of liberation and emancipation from the domination of the odious regime of Ingaz,” said the statement.
Asked about the violent repression of the peaceful protests, the Khartoum Governor Abdel Rahim Hussein, said they welcomed and authorised the Communist Party request to lodge a memorandum to his person against the hike of bread prices but they would not tolerate any protest threatening the public order.
(ST)