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Sudan clashes between security forces and anti-Bashir protesters prompt concern Sudan police use teargas to disperse anti-Bashir protesters
(about 3 hours later)
The US, Britain, Norway and Canada say they are concerned by “credible reports” that Sudan’s security forces have used live ammunition against demonstrators demanding that President Omar al-Bashir step down. Police used teargas and fired in the to disperse thousands of protesters attempting to march on the presidential palace to demand that Omar Bashir, Sudan‘s president of 29 years, step down, according to activists and video clips posted online.
In a joint statement issued late on Monday in the capital, Khartoum, the four nations urged all parties to avoid violence or the destruction of property while affirming the right of the Sudanese people to peacefully protest to express their “legitimate grievances”. The clips purported to show crowds of several hundred each gathering on side roads and headed toward the palace on the bank of the Blue Nile in the heart of Khartoum. They sang patriotic songs and chanted “freedom,” ‘‘peaceful, peaceful against the thieves” and “The people want to bring down the regime”. The latter was the most popular slogan of the 2010 and 2011 Arab Spring revolts.
Amnesty International, meanwhile, said it had “credible reports” that Sudanese police have killed 37 protesters in clashes during the anti-government demonstrations that erupted last week across much of the country. Large numbers of security forces were deployed across much of Khartoum on Tuesday in anticipation of the march, with soldiers riding in all-terrain vehicles. Police fired in the air, used teargas and hit demonstrators with batons to disperse them, only for the crowds to assemble again and continue their march in pitched battles. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
It said the use of lethal force by security forces against unarmed protesters was “extremely troubling” given that more protests were planned for Tuesday. The protest was called by an umbrella of independent professional unions and supported by the country’s largest political parties, Umma and Democratic Unionist. The organisers want to submit a petition demanding that Bashir, in power since a 1989 military coup, step down.
A coalition of independent professional unions has called for a march on the presidential palace in Khartoum on Tuesday to submit a petition demanding that Bashir, who rose to power in a 1989 military coup, step down. Two of Sudan’s largest political parties called on their supporters to take part. Tuesday’s march follows nearly a week of protests initially sparked by rising prices and shortages of food and fuel, but which later escalated into calls for Bashir to go. The Sudanese leader was in the al-Jazeera region south of Khartoum on a scheduled visit. Live TV coverage showed him addressing supporters there in a rally and the country’s state news agency said he inaugurated a road and a girls’ school there.
The protests began last Wednesday, initially over rising prices and shortages of food and fuel, but later escalated into calls for Bashir to go. The government has acknowledged deaths during the protests but given no figures. An opposition leader said over the weekend that 22 protesters were killed. In an address in which he frequently quoted verses from the Qur’an, Bashir, who is an Islamist, blamed the country’s economic woes on international sanctions and enemies of Sudan who don’t want it to progress.
In a statement posted on the Facebook page of the US embassy, the four nations called on the government to “respond to demonstrations appropriately, through uniformed police acting in accordance with Sudanese and international human rights law”. The petition presented by the protesters demands that the general-turned-president hand over power to a “transitional government of technocrats with a mandate agreed upon by all segments of Sudanese society.”.
They called on authorities to “avoid the use of live fire on protesters, arbitrary detention, and censorship of the media” and to investigate alleged abuses. “We are asserting that we will continue to exercise all popular and peaceful options, including general strike and civil disobedience, to bring down the regime,” it warned.
Police clashed with football fans late on Monday after retired star players called on them to protest following a match in Khartoum. A similar protest took place in the capital’s suburb of Omdurman on Sunday night. There were no reports on casualties from the clashes. The march followed a joint statement late Monday by the US, Britain, Norway and Canada, which said they were concerned by “credible reports” that Sudan’s security forces have used live ammunition against demonstrators. They urged all parties to avoid violence or the destruction of property while affirming the right of the Sudanese people to peacefully protest to express their “legitimate grievances”.
Tuesday’s planned march on the presidential palace has the potential to turn violent. The military vowed on Sunday to rally behind the Sudanese leader and emphasised in a statement that it was operating in harmony with the police and Sudan’s feared security agencies. On Tuesday, images posted online purported to show the deployment in the capital of large numbers of security forces, including troops in all-terrain pickups. The London-based rights group Amnesty International meanwhile said it had “credible reports” that Sudanese police have killed 37 protesters in clashes during the anti-government demonstrations.
Bashir on Monday said his government would introduce measures to remedy the economy and “provide citizens with a dignified life”. He also warned citizens against what he called “rumour-mongers”. An opposition leader said over the weekend that 22 protesters were killed. The government has acknowledged fatalities without providing any figures.
The Sudanese leader was in the al-Jazeera region south of the capital on a previously scheduled visit on Tuesday. Live TV coverage showed him addressing supporters at a rally there. The military vowed on Sunday to rally behind Bashir and emphasised in a statement that it was operating in harmony with the police and Sudan’s feared security agencies. Also on Monday, Bashir said his government would introduce measures to remedy the economy and “provide citizens with a dignified life”. He also warned citizens against what he called “rumour mongers”.
The demonstrations have been met with a heavy security crackdown, with authorities arresting more than a dozen opposition leaders, suspending school and university classes, and imposing emergency rule or night-time curfews in several cities. There has also been a near-total news blackout on the protests. The protests over the past week have been met with a heavy security crackdown, with authorities arresting more than a dozen opposition leaders, suspending school and university classes, and imposing emergency rule or nighttime curfews in several cities. There has also been a near-total news blackout on the protests and tighter than usual censorship of newspapers.
Bashir, in his mid-70s, seized power in a 1989 military coup that overthrew an elected but ineffective government. He is wanted by the international criminal court for committing crimes against humanity and genocide in the western Darfur region. Bashir, in his mid-70s, overthrew an elected but ineffective government when he seized power in 1989 in collaboration with Islamists. He is wanted by the international criminal court for committing crimes against humanity and genocide in the western Darfur region, where disgruntled ethnic African tribesmen revolted for a larger share of the nation’s resources and an end to discrimination by the mostly Muslim north.
Bashir has ordered the use of force against protesters in the past including in the last round of unrest in January, successfully crushing them to remain one of the longest-serving leaders in the region. Although his time in power has seen one crisis after another, he is seeking a new term in office, with loyal lawmakers campaigning for constitutional amendments that would allow him to run in the 2020 election. Bashir has ordered the use of force against protesters in the past including in the last round of unrest in January successfully crushing them to remain one of the longest-serving leaders in the region. Although his time in power has seen one crisis after another, he is seeking a new term in office, with loyal lawmakers campaigning for constitutional amendments that would allow him to run in the 2020 election.
Sudan lost three quarters of its oil wealth when the mainly animist and Christian south seceded in 2011 after a long and ruinous civil war against the mainly Muslim and Arabised north. More recently, a currency devaluation caused prices to surge and a liquidity crunch forced the government to limit bank withdrawals, leading to long lines outside ATMs. Sudan, a country of more than 40 million people, lost three quarters of its oil wealth when the mainly animist and Christian south seceded in 2011 after a long and ruinous civil war against the Khartoum government. More recently, a currency devaluation earlier this year caused prices to surge and a liquidity crunch forced the government to limit bank withdrawals, leading to long lines outside ATMs.
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AfricaAfrica
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
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