Sudan’s protest and opposition coalition on Monday announced plans to step up protests this month to maintain pressure on the ruling military council to hand over power to civilians, reported Reuters.
“We will not abandon the path of political negotiation, and we will not drop the path of peaceful escalation,” Madani Abbas Madani, a leader of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), told a news conference in Khartoum.
The Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), the main opposition coalition which organized a massive show of force on Sunday when tens of thousands of people took to the streets, blamed the military for the death of protestors during the demonstrations.
The FFC has now called out for another mass march on July 13 and a day of civil disobedience on July 14 against the ruling generals who took over following the ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir in April. After Bashir’s exit, the military has refused to hand over to civilian rule which led to continued protests in the country.
Sunday’s demonstrations were the first mass protest since last month’s violence. People gathered in large numbers on Sunday to demand a civilian rule. The protests were planned to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the coup that brought Bashir to power. As per reports, at least 11 people were killed in the clashes with security forces over the weekend.
In related news, the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday called on Sudan’s army and protesters to continue the dialogue and avoid violence after protest leaders called for a one-day civil disobedience campaign.
“It is important for dialogue to continue in Sudan away from disputes and towards an agreement regarding transition arrangements,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash posted on Twitter.
He said any transition should guarantee the establishment of a stable constitutional system.
