Sudan: pro-democracy activists announce two days of mobilization

Published on : 06/11/2021 – 21:29

Pro-democracy activists in Sudan announced Saturday, November 6, two days of civil disobedience to bend the army, at the helm since the October 25 putsch in Khartoum, where Arab League negotiators arrived to renew dialogue between civilians and military.

Calls for mobilization were launched by the Association of Sudanese Professionals (SPA), the spearhead of the revolt movement that led to the fall in 2019 of dictator Omar al-Bashir.

The SPA called on the Sudanese to install “barricades” in Khartoum on the night of Saturday to Sunday to make the capital a dead city on Sunday, the first day of the week in Sudan, and Monday.

“The Sudanese people have rejected the military coup,” SPA tweeted, adding: “no negotiation, no partnership, no legitimacy”.

“We will begin to put barricades in the main streets to prepare for massive civil disobedience on Sunday and Monday,” she added, urging the demonstrators to avoid any clash with the police.

The calls had started circulating via SMS because of the almost total cut-off of the internet since October 25, the day of the coup d’état led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane.

Organize free elections

The country’s new strongman then ordered the dissolution of institutions, the arrest of civilian leaders, including Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, and the establishment of a state of emergency.

Abdallah Hamdok has since been placed under house arrest and the military released four ministers on Thursday, but others remain in jail with governors and civilian officials.

The supporters of civil power are calling for the reestablishment of the deposed government and the end of the division of the transitional authorities with the army to leave the only civilians to organize the first free elections in the country for 30 years.

On Saturday, the SPA issued a 13-point proposal calling in particular for the restructuring of the armed forces and the dissolution of a powerful paramilitary organization, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The military coup has been strongly denounced abroad, prompting in particular the interruption of certain aid, in a country already mired in economic slump.

Fourteen demonstrators killed since the putsch

He also sparked demonstrations which were repressed by the authorities. Fourteen demonstrators have been killed and 300 others injured since October 25, according to pro-democracy doctors.

Faced with civilians refusing to negotiate without the prior release of all political detainees and soldiers who promise a government chosen by themselves, mediations continue in Khartoum, without any breakthrough so far.

“There has been no progress in the talks yet,” one of the Sudanese mediators told AFP on Saturday, on condition of anonymity.

The Arab League said on Saturday it had sent a “high-level” delegation to “meet Sudanese officials from the various camps” and “overcome the current crisis.”

With AFP