The Sudanese popular uprising is inevitably victorious
By Mahmoud A Suleiman
The uprising of the people of Sudan this time has coincided with the events of the declaration of independence of Sudan from within the parliament and the annual Martyrs’ Day Celebration.
The uprising of the people of Sudan was accompanied by two great festivals, Eid al-Shuhada (Martyrs’ Day) and the day of the declaration of independence of Sudan from within the parliament. The latter represents a historic Sudanese national event when Abdul Rahman Dabaka, a parliamentary deputy from the Darfur Province, suggested a Proposal for the Declaration of the Independence of the Sudan from within the Parliament on Monday the 19th December 1955, when the unity of the will of the Sudanese people behind one word which was independence for everyone in accordance with a prior agreement and hence they were the will to announce and declare it. It is one of the days of the Eternal Sudan, which preserves its history and its splendor, but repeats its memory every year because of its insistence on reaching the chandelier that was planned. https://mod.gov.sd/index.php/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9/18718-%D8%A5%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%82%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-19-%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%B1-1955%D9%85.html
On that immortal day in the history of the Sudan, at that historic session, Mr. Abdulrahman Mohamed Ibrahim Dabaka presented the proposal for the declaration of the independence of the Sudan from within the Parliament. It is noteworthy that the Deputy who presented the foregoing Proposal was a representative of the South Baggara Department Constituency in the Darfur Province and his origins descend from the Locality of “Idaelghanam” Translated literally into the sheep well, now it has been renamed by the National Islamic Front (NIF) Arabised Fundamentalists into “Iddalfursan” the Well of the Knights! On that Day, the Names of those who are among the first patriotic system have been shining were Abd al-Rahman Dabaka, Mirghani Husain Zaki al-Din and Mushawar Jumaa Sahl. Hammad Abu Sadr and others.
Thus, on Monday the Nineteenth of December 1955, the Independence of the Sudan From the clutches of Anglo-Egyptian colonialism better known as the Condominium was declared from within the Parliament and the Sudan Martyrs’ Day, has also been Celebrated by the Sudan Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) which is observed each year, both the dates of the events have coincided with the uprising of the people of Sudan against the tyranny of the ruling regime of National Congress Party (NCP) led by the genocidal criminal and the fugitive International Justice Omer Hassan Ahmed al – Bashir and his criminal, corrupt and incompetent entourage. It is ironic that the uprising of the people of Sudan also coincided with the return of Omer al-Bashir and his team of entourage from his visit to Russia, Belarus, Syria on aboard the Russian plane, accompanied by his large begging Team of (NCP) regime close insiders partly on Tourism shuttles at the expense of the Sudanese people suffering from hunger, disease and lack of fuel and medicines.
It is also pertinent to recall that the uprising of the people of Sudan against the (NCP) autocratic regime coinciding with that National Occasions on the return of Sudan’s criminal dictator Omer al-Bashir from his shuttle trips at the expense of poor people’s money on a Russian plane after passing through Damascus in Syria to meet his ilk fellow Dictator Bashar al-Assad. After returning from his visit to Bashar al-Assad Omer al-Bashir met the consequences of his inhumane crimes and heinous reactions he has perpetrated through his lean years of arbitrary oppression against the Sudanese people, who today rose up in an Intifada all over the country to get out of the grip of repression, starvation, disease, poverty and genocide. Bashir and his criminal corrupt entourage have not expected this happening because the tyrants do not think they will ever leave their seat of power. They believe that their rule will be forever. Dictators like Bashir and others of his kind hey neither take lessons from the history nor from the events that took place around them and led to the demise of their counterparts in neighbouring countries; the so-called Arab Spring in late 2010 which remains as a living example.
The people of Sudan have overthrown military regimes twice before, in 1964 and 1985, and in September 2013 the NISS and the Janjaweed militias killed more than 200 protestors in the manner described as “Shoot to kill”. It seemed that Bashir’s moment of reckoning had come with the current popular uprising of extreme discontent for the Poverty, lack of potential and lack of basic daily living commodities such as a loaf of bread while the associates of the (NCP) regime enjoy Life of luxury and spending of people’s wealth lavishly.
How did the protests begin, according to the BBC report?
They started in the eastern town of Atbara, where demonstrators burned the offices of Mr Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP). Witnesses said that in some areas the military was not intervening and even appeared to be siding with the demonstrators.
But in a statement on Sunday 23rd of December 2018 indicated that the military has pledged loyalty to Mr. Bashir and said it would safeguard the “nation’s security, safety along with its blood, honour and assets”. On the other hand, a presidential adviser, Faisal Hassan Ibrahim, has been quoted as saying that the protests were being directed by “organised entities”, without giving further details.
On Saturday 22 December 2018 AFP quoted witnesses in Wad Madani, south-east of Khartoum, as saying police used tear gas and beat protesters calling for Mr. Bashir to step down.
In El Rahad, south-west of Khartoum, the National Congress Party (NCP) office and other administrative offices were set ablaze and protesters chanting “no to hunger” were tear-gassed, another witness said.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-46666237
It seems that the spark of the uprising that swept all the cities of Sudan recently began in the city of Atbara. Atbara is the national seat of labour Movements and nicknamed the city of iron and fire as it is the Sudanese working-class City that is the headquarters of the Sudan railways – it remains a major site of labour activism and radical politics. But the spark of the diversion extended to Dongola in the far north and the city of al-Obeid in Kordofan and in Port Sudan and the city of Nyala and El Geneina and El Fasher in the Darfur region in western Sudan and of course in the Capital Khartoum with its three Towns at the junction of the two Nile Rivers of White Nile and Blue Nile to form the River Nile.
It is noteworthy to mention that the Sudanese people’s uprising inside the Mother Land was attended by all Sudanese outside the country, whether they in the United States of America or in Europe, especially in London and in Manchester in the United Kingdom, in Europe in France especially in Paris, along with Sudanese people staging protests in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC)) at The Hague in the Netherlands and of course in Germany.
The cheers in all these demonstrations in different locations were echoed saying the people want to overthrow the regime.” Cheers chanted in the streets, but quickly moved to the football stadiums during the match between Mars and Al Ahli, Khartoum after at least 20 people were killed and dozens arrested during protests against high prices.
Mass media outlets reported that the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) have arrested Opposition leaders as protests continued all over the Sudan. Meanwhile, protests have continued on Saturday in a number of towns across Sudan. Eyewitnesses said students protesting in the town of al-Rahad, North Kordofan State, set fire to the ruling National Congress Party’s (NCP) headquarters and other official buildings. Also, there were unconfirmed reports that the house of the notorious Génocidaire the Governor of North Kordofan Ahmed Mohammed Haroun who is one of four Sudanese men wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur Region was set on fire on Saturday evening.
Darfur Conflict and Ahmed Mohammed Haroun
However, it was in his role as the holder of the Darfur security dossier at the Interior Ministry in 2003 that he attracted most notoriety. In between 2003 and 2004 Haroun is believed to have organized and mobilized the ’Janjaweed’ militias that have been held responsible for numerous war crimes since the outbreak of conflict in the region. It was on account of his actions during this period that in April 2007 the ICC prosecutor Louis Moreno-Ocampo decided to issue an arrest warrant for Haroun, accusing him of overseeing the numerous acts of rape, murder, plunder and destruction committed by pro-government militias in the region. The warrant observed that Haroun had contributed personally to the perpetration of these abuses by exhorting the militias to commit these acts in public speeches.
http://www.sudantribune.com/South-Kordofan-governor-vows-to,42127
Protesters also gathered in several neighbourhoods of the capital, Khartoum and in the city of Madani, Gezira State. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article66811
Demonstrations in Sudan and Protests continue with calls for a strike.
Anti-government protests in Sudan continue for the Seventh day, and analysts say it is the biggest popular challenge to the regime of Omer al-Bashir who took power through a military coup d’état on June the 30th 1989.
The Sudanese armed forces (SAF) issued a statement pledging their support for the president, at a time when doctors’ strike is due to begin, followed by a strike on Tuesday 25th 2018, Christmas Day. It is noteworthy that the Coptic Community in Sudan hinted saying that they will rather postpone the Festive Celebrations on the Day declared for the strike.
On Sunday, the Sudanese regime’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) forces used teargas to disperse soccer fans that had gathered on one of the roads and blocked it, shouting slogans calling for freedom.
Furthermore, it was reported that the Police prevented the demonstrators who were coming out of the Football Stadium from crossing the bridge to the heart of Khartoum and the Presidential Palace. Moreover, the Security elements cordoned off the stadium and the roads leading to it, as soon as the protesters left for Al-Arba’een – The Forty’s Street, chanting slogans against the government of Omer al-Bashir; the Police dispersed the angry protestors in the surrounding areas. Police in Sudan have fired tear gas at football fans demanding an end to President Omar al-Bashir’s rule as protests spread across the country.
Hundreds of demonstrators blocked a road near a football stadium in the capital, Khartoum, on Sunday 23 December 2018 before clashing with riot police.
So far, the Opposition figures say 22 protesters have been killed since Wednesday, but officials say the figure is much lower. The protests erupted after bread and fuel price rises were announced. But they have escalated into calls for an end to Omer al- Bashir’s 29-year rule. Over the past year, the cost of some goods has got more than doubled, while overall inflation has risen to nearly 70%, the value of the Sudanese pound has fallen sharply and shortages have been reported in cities including Khartoum. Earlier, footage on social media appeared to show continuing protests in a number of areas. The Central Sudanese Committee of Doctors said its members had seen protesters in hospitals with gunshot wounds and said there had been a number of deaths and injuries. “The people want the downfall of the regime” is one of the people’s chants!
.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-46666237
It is important to refer to the troika Countries statement over the Sudanese Protest which says the following:
“The Troika (the United States, Norway and the United Kingdom and Canada) are concerned about the violence occurring during recent protests in Sudan, including reliable reports of the use of live fire by the Government of Sudan and of multiple deaths during several protests. We reaffirm the right of the Sudanese people to peacefully protest to express their legitimate grievances.
We urge all to avoid the use of violence or destruction of property. We also urge the Government of Sudan to respond to statements appropriately, through uniformed police acting in accordance with Sudanese and international human rights law, including the right to freedoms of peaceful assembly, association, and expression – and to avoid the use of live fire on protestors, arbitrary detention, and censorship of the media.
We expect the Government of Sudan to implement measures to investigate cases in which abuse of force has occurred, and welcome the assurances provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard.
The Troika countries (the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom and Canada) are concerned about the violence that occurred during recent protests in Sudan, including credible reports of the use of live ammunition by the Government of the Sudan and multiple deaths during several protests. We reaffirm the right of the Sudanese people to peaceful protest to express their legitimate grievances.
We urge everyone to avoid using violence or destroying property. We also urge the Government of the Sudan to respond appropriately to the demonstrations, through regular police and in accordance with Sudanese and international human rights law, including the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression – and to avoid the use of live ammunition on protesters, arbitrary detention and media censorship.
We expect the Government of the Sudan to implement measures to investigate cases of abuse of force, and we welcome the assurances provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard.”
http://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article66821
Howard Zinn the American historian, playwright, and social activist and a chairperson of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College as well as a political science professor at Boston University has been quoted as saying: “Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it.”
https://www.google.com/search?q=howard+zinn&oq=Howard+Zinn&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.1889j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Moreover, Martin Luther King Jr. has been quoted as has said: “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” “The duty of youth is to challenge corruption.” “To sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of men.” “Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly.”
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/activism
The Tunisian Poet Abu al – Qasim Shabi has said in his Poem: “If people ever wanted life, then fate must respond and the constraint must be broken. And those who did not embrace the longing for life * Evaporated in the atmosphere and dispersed” !
Thus, the people of Sudan had the right to rise up against tyranny, starvation and the futile wars imposed on it by the Dictator, the Genocidal criminal who remains fugitive from the international justice, Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir and his criminal entourage sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague in the Netherlands for apprehension and to bring them for fair trial and punishment.
Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/