Fresh protests in Sudan to demand full civilian rule

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Fresh protests erupted against the ruling military in Sudan on Monday, amid calls for full civilian rule.

Hundreds of demonstrators marched in the capital Khartoum, waving anti-military banners, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter on the ground.

Monday’s rallies were called by the Resistance Committee, a protest group that led protests against the military, and the Sudanese Professional Association (SPA), which spearheaded protests against former President Omar al-Bashir.

“We will continue protesting until we bring down the military coup,” Emad Alhassan, a protester in Bashdar area of Khartoum, told Anadolu Agency.

“Nearly 80 protesters have been killed and we are ready for more sacrifices until we establish full civilian rule,” he said.

During the protest, demonstrators called on fellow protesters in Northern State to tighten their blockade of roads between Sudan and neighboring Egypt.

Protesters accuse Egyptian authorities of providing support to the military takeover in Sudan and have shut the border road linking the two countries since last month.

“The protests first began over the increase in electricity tariff, but it developed to include politics and the Egyptian government support to the military coup in Sudan,” Eman Hassabo, another protester, said.

Sudan’s military has shared power with civilian groups since al-Bashir’s ouster in 2019, but the situation escalated when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government on Oct. 25.

Ever since, civilian groups have launched almost daily protests against the military, amid calls for the handover of power to civilians.

On Friday, the SPA refused to meet UN special representative to Sudan, Volker Perthes, for talks on resolving the Sudanese crisis, accusing the UN mission of siding with the military.

The UN has been pushing for a negotiated solution in Sudan in recent weeks through holding consultations with various stakeholders in the crisis-hit country.