Fourth week of mass demonstrations across Sudan

The mass public demonstrations across Sudan demanding the immediate step-down of President Al Bashir and his regime have entered their fourth consecutive week. Continuing protests were witnessed in the states of Khartoum, North Kordofan, Blue Nile, and White Nile on Friday.

After Friday prayers, during which several imams launched scathing attacks on Al Bashir and his regime from the pulpits, thousands of people in various districts in Greater Khartoum took to the streets calling for the unconditional step-down of Al Bashir and his regime. The eastern Khartoum districts of Arkaweet and Imtidad Nasi, and Jabra in the south-western part of the city witnessed protests.

Hundreds of worshippers at Khatim El Mursalin Mosque in Jabra demanded that Imam Abdelhay Yousef lead a demonstration. They left the mosque in a mass demonstration chanting slogans calling for freedom, peace, justice and the overthrow of the regime, toured Jabra before the security forces dispersed them using tear gas.

Omdurman

In old Omdurman, hundreds of worshippers demonstrated after Friday prayers at the Mosque of the Ansar [followers of Mohamed Ahmed El Mahdi). The districts of Wad Nubawi, Beit El Mal, El Mulazmin, and Abrof witnessed demonstrations shouting slogans for peace, justice, and “revolution is the choice of the people”.

The walls of the Abdelrahman El Mahdi Mosque in the neighbourhood have been marked with slogans including “together to topple the corrupt regime, no harvest with corruption, no compromise, no bargaining, no to the eaters of the people’s food supply”.

Khartoum North

Hundreds of people demonstrated as well in El Jeili, Halfaya and the densely populated district Haj Yousef in Khartoum North (Bahri) after Friday prayers, demanding the regime to go. Witnesses said that the protesters started on the main roads chanting “peaceful, peaceful, you will fall no matter what”.

The security forces used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

North Kordofan

In North Kordofan, demonstrations took place in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque near the market of Bara. Demonstrators chanted slogans demanding the step-down of Al Bashir and his regime.

The security forces intervened with tear gas and excessive force to disperse the demonstrators.

Blue Nile state

On Friday, after the noon prayers, members of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) arrested a group of young men at El Mulid square in Ed Damazin, capital of Blue Nile state, and took them to an unknown destination.

In a statement by the Human Rights Centre (Hudo), a Sudanese NGO dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights, the young men wanted to stage a protest against the Sudanese government, and were detained for this reason.

‘NISS trap’

According to a social media activist in Ed Damazin, there was a call by an unknown account on Facebook to demonstrate at El Mulid square after Friday prayers. It is believed that the Facebook account was generated by NISS officers themselves in order to trap whoever intended to take to the streets to demonstrate.

Most of the detained youths are students and graduates of the Blue Nile University. HUDO mentions Huzeifa Ahmed (26), Abdelmunim Mohamed El Mamoun (27), Abdallah El Masri (25), Mutwakil Nabil (23), Osman Abbas (27) and El Naji Majdi (21).

White Nile state

Demonstrations were launched from the railway in Rabak, capital of White Nile state.

Witnesses said that the security forces used tear gas and batons to disperse and stop the progress of the demonstrators towards the state government offices to deliver a memorandum demanding the step-down of Al Bashir and his regime.

On Friday afternoon, officers of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) arrested El Fateh El Sayyid, Director of Tuga Specialist Hospital in Omdurman near his house in Abrof in Omdurman as a result of his announcement that the hospital will treat all wounded in the peaceful demonstrations.

Sudan’s doctors have called for international support.