International Rights Group Amnesty International on Thursday urged Sudan’s new transitional government to live up to the hopes and expectations of the Sudanese people as the country marked the first anniversary of mass protests that led to the ouster of former president and longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
Last year in December, the first mass protest rally was held in Sudan to protest an increase in the price of bread. The protests soon turned into a pro-democracy movement that led to some big political changes in the country.
In April, the mass protests forced al-Bashir to step down after being in power for three decades and ultimately resulted in the creation of a joint military-civilian Sovereign Council that has committed to rebuilding the country and promises elections in three years.
According to doctors linked to the protest movement, over 250 people were killed in the violence related to the demonstrations against al-Bashir and military rulers who initially replaced him.
“The transitional authorities must honor the commitments they made to restore the rule of law and protect human rights,” Seif Magango, Amnesty’s deputy director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes said in a statement. “The Sudanese people deserve nothing less.”
The rights group said Sudan’s new government has shown positive signs of progress during its fragile transition to democracy. Last month, the government repealed the public order laws and brought to an end the era of egregious violations particularly targeting women’s rights and freedoms.
The rights group also urged the ruling council to ensure that members of the security forces who committed horrific crimes or used excessive force against protestors are held accountable in fair trials.
To mark one year of protests, activists organized protests in cities across the country.
“I’ll remember the first day of our protest under tear gas and live ammunition, which didn’t stop us,” one of the activists said. “Now we can take to the streets in celebration. It’s a great achievement of our revolution.”
