Protests in Khartoum, al-Jazhira demand dismissal of Sudan’s military governors
November 17, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Hundreds of Sudanese protested south of the capital Khartoum and Al-Hasahisa in the state of Al-Jazirah on Sunday, demanding to sack the military governors of the two military states and local officials.
The protesters in Jabal Awlia town, south of Khartoum chanted slogans calling to dismiss of the military governor of Khartoum state, Lt Gen Ahmed Abdoun Hammad, and the town’s commissioner Hussam al-Din Mohamed al-Amin.
Eyewitnesses said some protesters were wounded by the tear gas canisters the police launched to disperse them.
The Sudanese Professionals Association, the most prominent components of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) pointed to the massive participation of the Resistance Committees in the big demonstration of Jabal Awliya demanding to fire the commissioner, all administrative officers and the governor of Khartoum.
The SPA released pictures of hundreds of protesters burning tires in the main streets south of the capital.
The protesters are demanding the dismissal of the state’s governor and commissioner, as they accuse the former of backing the latter who is a partisan of the former regime.
The Resistance Committees, which led the protesters against the al-Bashir’s regime, on the local levels say the commissioner ignored their repeated demands to restitute lands grabbed by businessmen close to the former regime.
The FFC pledged to remove the 18 military governors appointed by al-Bashir last February and to replace them by civilians.
The armed groups of the Sudanese Revolutionary Forces (SRF) voiced their opposition to the move while the FFC said resolved to go ahead with the replacement and to reserve some states for them when they conclude a peace deal with the transitional government.
The FFC and the military component of the Sovereign Council had to meet on Sunday to discuss this issue and the formation of the transitional parliament. But, there was no statement about the outcome of the meeting.
In Al-Hasahisa, the police dispersed a demonstration calling to discharge the governor of Al-Jazirah state.
According to a news bulletin by the Baath Party, one of the FFC groups, the protesters took to the streets to demand the dismissal of Al-Jazeera military governor, Maj Gen Ahmed Hanan Ahmed, and Al-Hasahisa commissioner.
The bulletin said that the police fired used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Al-Jazhirah governor, like other military governors, are rejected by the local population, who are frustrated from their continuation despite the revolution.
Following a protest in Nyala against the military governor last September, Lt Gen Shams al-Din al-Kabbashi stated they demanded that all military governors be withdrawn and replaced with civilians governors because their efforts were not appreciated by the FFC.
The Constitutional Document to replace all the military governors by civilians to be appointed by the prime minister.
(ST)