Sudanese continue to protest as security makes more arrests
February 10, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Hundreds of Sudanese on Sunday have taken to the streets of Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city demanding release of dozens of women detained during the ongoing popular protests.
Protesters, mainly women, marched from the central bus station in downtown Omdurman towards the Women Prison where the female protesters are held.
They chanted slogans calling for the fall of the regime of President Omer al-Bashir and the restoration of peace, justice and equality.
Police and security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters detaining large numbers of women.
Earlier, the Sudanese government said about 800 protesters have been arrested during the demonstration, however, opposition sources put the number at 1000 pointing out that they have been detained at various parts of the country.
Reliable sources told Sudan Tribune that security agents on Sunday evening have detained Yahia al-Hussein, a lawyer and member of the Arab Ba’ath Party from his office in Khartoum.
The same sources said security agents have also detained female journalists Durra Ganbo as she was covering the protests in Omdurman.
Also, security forces on Sunday afternoon arrested 5 doctors as they staged a demonstration at Khartoum Teaching Hospital.
In a statement on Sunday, the Central Committee of Doctors said 5 orthopedists including Ashraf al-Mutasim, Al-Hadi Abdel-Rahim, Walid Fadl Allah, Al-Tihami Saif and Al-Amin Ahmed al-Tayeb have demonstrated at the hospital in support of the popular protests, pointing the security agents arrested them after the protest.
According to the statement, doctors have also staged demonstrations at a number of hospitals including Sharq Al-Nil, Kassala, Medani and El-Obayied.
It is noteworthy that the Sudan Central Committee of Doctors is part of the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), an umbrella organization of independent professional unions spearheading the anti-government protests.
Large protests have been ongoing across Sudanese cities since 19 December. The demonstrations first began over fuel shortages and a hike in food prices but have now morphed into full-fledged protests calling for al-Bashir to step down.
The Sudanese government has confirmed the deaths of 31 people in the course of the protests but other credible reports including from Human Rights Watch say more than 51 persons have been killed.
(ST)