Coup in Sudan: “We will never accept a confiscation of our revolution”

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The situation deteriorated sharply in Sudan after the arrest by security forces on Monday (October 25) of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and most of the ministers and civilian members of the Sovereignty Council, which oversees the transition in the country. The army fired in the air to disperse the many demonstrators who came out in the streets to denounce a “coup d’etat”, leaving several injured according to testimonies from residents. Our Observer in Khartoum speaks of a climate of fear.

Unidentified gunmen arrested several Sudanese leaders early on Monday (October 25th), a government source told AFP. The Internet network has also been cut across the country, explained Sudnais residents reached by phone.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, head of the transitional authorities in Sudan, announced the dissolution of the government and the Sovereignty Council, and declared a state of emergency throughout the country.

At the start of this video, gunshots are heard. “Live ammunition on the road to the airport on October 25,” cried a protester. Source: Twitter / @ mo2mein.

In the morning, after the announcement of the arrest of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, demonstrators took to the main streets of Khartoum and Omdurman, chanting “No turning back”, a slogan that refers to the era of the dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, overthrown on April 11, 2019, after four months of popular protests. They tried to get to the army headquarters, but the soldiers used live ammunition to disperse them.

Tires were also burned by protesters, as seen in videos that leaked on social media despite severe internet disruption.

the Sudanese Central Committee of Physicians announced that the crackdown by security forces has left at least three gunshot dead and more than 80 injured.

By midday, the army, supported by elements of the Rapid Support Forces (FSR), had cordoned off bridges and main roads in Khartoum to prevent protesters from reaching army headquarters. The video below shows elements of the security forces stationed in front of a gas station. Smoke can be seen rising in the distance, while protesters chant: “the army belongs to Sudan, the army does not belong to Burhan”.


Elements of the security forces stationed in front of a gas station in Khartoum. Smoke is seen rising in the distance, as protesters chant : “The army belongs to Sudan, the army does not belong to Burhan”. Source: Twitter / @ 6a7a_hussein

Fatma (pseudonym) is a journalist. She lives not far from the army headquarters.

I did not dare to leave my house today. From my window, I see the smoke of the burnt tires. I hear Kalashnikov fire and stun grenades coming from army headquarters.

This morning there were also brief exchanges of projectile throws between protesters supporting the revolution and other pro-army protesters. [ NDLR : soutenus par le gouverneur du Darfour, Minni Minawi, et le ministre des Finances, Gibril Ibrahim, tous deux représentants de groupes armés et appelant à dissoudre l’actuel gouvernement]. This is what is saddest to see: Sudanese who clash almost three years after the revolution.

Video showing demonstrators on the road leading to the airport, flocking to army HQ in Khartoum, to protest the coup. Source: Twitter / @Elmosharaf_E

There was an atmosphere of fear this morning. Schools sent text messages to parents this morning saying they would not be able to welcome students for security reasons.

Journalists are now very afraid after the arrest of officials from civil society.

There were warning signs of this coup, and restrictions on journalists’ freedoms began long before today.


This video shows elements of the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) beating passers-by with sticks, on the sidelines of the demonstrations, while shots are fired. Video posted by @ThomasVLinge on Twitter.

Pro-military protesters, who had been camping in front of the government building since October 6, prevented, sometimes with violence, journalists from filming their sit-ins, including international media like the BBC.

Two weeks ago, the intelligence apparatus issued a ban on leaving the territory targeting several political figures from civil society, among them a member of the Supreme Council, Mohammed al-Fakki Sueima, and an advisor to the Prime Minister. minister, Abdallah Hamdok.

Industry Minister Ibrahim al-Sheikh was arrested at his home in the middle of the night in a humiliating manner. He posted a message on Twitter just before his arrest saying: “soldiers are storming my home”. Then images of the arrest were posted on social networks.

Photo showing the arrest of the Minister of Industry, Ibrahim al-Sheikh, on the night of October 25, not individuals in civilian clothes. In one of the photos, we see one of these men, in a blue shirt, carrying a gun. @MohdSalam

Most stores are closed, main roads closed by the military, and the Internet has been cut. In Sudan, a lot of things work with the Internet, making a doctor’s appointment, ordering a taxi, shopping. The country is at a standstill, but the Sudanese are not resigning themselves. Sudanese took to the streets in droves to protest President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s announcement to dissolve parliament in the early afternoon.

We are going into the unknown, but we will not surrender. We will never accept a confiscation of our revolution.

Mohammed al-Assam, one of the leaders of the Association of Sudanese Professionals, a leading figure in the December 2019 revolution, joined the protesters against the coup, as shown in this video relayed on social networks .

“They want to drag the country into violence and chaos. But no one will resort to violence. Our revolution is peaceful and will remain so, ”proclaims Mohammed al-Assam in this video. Source: Twitter / @ThomasVLinge

The political crisis in Sudan is unfolding against the background of a severe economic crisis. The country is heavily in debt as the daily life of the Sudanese is punctuated by shortages of gas, electricity and fuel.