Hundreds of Sudanese gathered on the streets on Monday, the third anniversary of Omar al-Bashir’s ousting by the military, reported FX Empire.
Bashir was ousted by the Sudanese army in April 2019 after being in power for three decades following months of mass protests against his rule. After the coup, the army entered into a power-sharing government with the civilian groups.
The arrangement ended on October 25 when the same military leaders, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, staged a coup, which upended Sudan’s fragile democratic transition and plunged the impoverished nation into a political crisis. The military claims the coup was a necessary corrective measure.
“Bashir’s downfall did not mean a final victory for the revolution, because Burhan is a continuation of his regime,” one of the protesters said.
Anti-government protests have continued despite a security crackdown that has so far killed at least 94 people and injured thousands. The Sudanese security forces have denied targeting civilians.
The protesters broke their day-long fasts in the street in Khartoum, as they did in major protests last week. there were also protests in other major cities, including Bahri, El Obeid, Madani, Omdurman, and Port Sudan.
Earlier this month, Sudanese military leader Al-Burhan threatened to expel United Nations special representative Volker Perthes from the country after he said Sudan was heading toward an economic and security collapse unless its civilian-led transition was restored.
Perthes also pointed out rising crime and lawlessness in Sudan, killing of anti-coup protesters, violence against women by security forces, and increased targeting of activists.
Burhan warned Perthes to stop overstepping the UN mission’s mandate and refrain from blatant interference in Sudanese affairs, as that would lead to his expulsion from the country. He also called out the UN and the African Union (AU) to facilitate dialogue among Sudanese and avoid overstepping their mandate.
