More groups to participate in protest rally tomorrow

30/01/2018 15:27 KHARTOUM

As support grows from political parties, women and student organisations for the planned march against Sudan’s so-called annual “hunger” budget in Khartoum tomorrow, the calls for a peaceful course of the demonstration become louder.

The now iconic photo of the protests against the price hikes: The jalabiya of a protester is burnt by tear gas while the man carries the cannisters in his pockets, away from the demonstrating crowd on January 18, 2018, in Omdurman (filtered photo from social media)

As support grows from political parties, women's and students' organisations for the planned march against Sudan’s so-called annual “hunger” budget in Khartoum tomorrow, the calls for a peaceful course of the demonstration become louder.

The planned peaceful march from El Shaabiya Square in Khartoum North on Wednesday is said to be attended by political forces, the civil and armed opposition, and women, youth, student, and labour organisations. The Teachers’ Union in Khartoum has called on all school teachers to take part in the march aimed against the government’s new budget for 2018, which has led to large price increases.

The Union’s Duriya Mohamed Babikir also called upon the authorities to stop the arrests of party leaders and journalists. At least 400 political activists are currently being held by the National Intelligence and Seciurity Service (NISS) in the country, including President of the Sudanese Congress Party Omar El Digeir, Umma Party Co-VP and head of the Darfur Bar Association Mohamed Abdallah El Doma, Umma Party Secretary-General Sara Nugdallah, Communist Party Secretary-General Mohamed El Khateeb, and member of the party’s Political Bureau Siddig Yousef, in addition to journalists Amal Habani and Kamal Karar.

Rebel groups

The civil office of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) of Abdelwahid El Nur has announced its participation in the march “against the hunger budget” and rising prices. Abumajda, spokesman for the civil office, told Radio Dabanga that all civil offices would participate in the popular march on Wednesday, following directives by El Nur.

Abumajda issued a warning to the Sudanese police and army not to suppress the peaceful demonstrators in Khartoum. “Sudanese in all the states should go out to public squares to express their rejection of the corruption and hunger.”

The opposition has called on the people in the rest of Sudan to organise demonstrations on Wednesday as well against the recent austerity measures that caused the prices of basic consumer goods to double and in some case to triple.

The Sudanese Bar Association of lawyers in the UK has also warned security and police forces using violence against demonstrators that all violations “are carefully monitored”. “Those involved will bear the full responsibility, and all the police and security services must know these crimes are not subject to any statute of exemption.”

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, lawyer Ali Ajab, said that the Bar Association wants to protect the civilians’ right to peacefully demonstrate. The member of the executive office of the association added that they are working to document crimes accurately, along with names and pictures of those who committed them.

Solidarity

Hundreds of Sudanese took to the streets in Canada and France on Saturday, in solidarity with anti-price hike protesters and the political detainees in their home country.