June 30: A watershed moment in the history of the Sudanese revolution – ‘will to change is still alive’

Political and civil entities in Sudan issued a statement on the occasion of the anniversary of the June 30, 2019 March of the Millions, stressing that “the will to change is still alive”. The statement, signed 19 political and civil entities, including by the National Umma Party, the Federal Assembly, the Sudanese Congress, the Baath Party, and other forces, stressed that “the December revolution was not a fleeting moment, but rather an ongoing project towards building a civil, democratic, and just state”. The entities stress that there is no way but to restore this project, reject war, and confront totalitarianism in all its forms.

The statement also stresses adherence to the unity of Sudan, stopping the war, holding those involved in crimes accountable, combating hate speech and racism, launching a comprehensive national process of reparations, and building a new social contract based on equal citizenship.

June 30 March of the Millions: Details and repercussions

The “June 30 March of the Millions” in Sudan mainly refers to the mass demonstrations that took place on June 30, 2019, and were an important turning point in the Sudanese revolution. These demonstrations came in response to the bloody dispersal of the General Command sit-in on 3 June 2019.

The procession, attended by hundreds of thousands across Sudan, called for retribution for the victims of the dispersal of the sit-in, as one of the main objectives was to demand justice and hold accountable those responsible for the massacre of the dispersal of the sit-in. The procession stressed the handover of power to civilians, as demonstrations renewed demands that the Transitional Military Council hand over full power to a civilian government. He also called for correcting the course of the revolution and restructuring the security services to ensure that such violations are not repeated.

Observers believe that the most prominent outcome of the June 30 procession is the signing of the political agreement between the military council and the Forces for Freedom and Change in August 2019, which led to the formation of a sovereign council and a joint transitional government between civilians and the military. This came after the military component had stopped negotiations in conjunction with the dispersal of the General Command sit-in.

The procession of June 30, 2019 is considered a defining moment in the Sudanese revolution, as it proved the ability of the Sudanese street to impose its will and change the course of events. Other “Marches of the Millions” continued on subsequent dates (such as June 30, 2020 and 2022) to demand political course correction and full justice.