Hundreds of Sudanese took to the streets in Khartoum on Sunday to protest against the October 25 military takeover, as they mark the third anniversary of a popular uprising that led to the overthrow of longtime President Omar al-Bashir, reported Africa News.
Sunday’s protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations that have continued even after the reinstatement of the prime minister. According to witnesses, security forces responded with tear gas and stun grenades.
After Bashir’s ousting in 2019, military and civilian leaders entered a power-sharing agreement. Under the arrangement, Sudanese military leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had been due to step down as head of state, handing over to a civilian last month.
But, the Sudanese military led by Gen al-Burhan ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in October.
Last month, under international pressure, the army reinstated Hamdok after being put under house arrest in the military takeover.
But the move has failed to stop protests in the country, where demonstrators have been calling for an entirely civilian political leadership under the slogan “no negotiation, no partnership, no legitimacy”.
On Sunday, protesters marched towards the presidential palace in Khartoum, which is home to coup leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, demanding his downfall.
“Any form of the coup is rejected, even with Hamdok’s return to the government. Our revolution, the glorious December revolution, is for the sake of a civil institution and a complete civil authority, not for the sake of individuals,” one of the protesters told the AFP news agency.
According to the independent Doctors’ Committee, at least 45 people have been killed in crackdowns on protesters since the October takeover.
On Saturday, the Sudanese Prime Minister Hamdok warned of “the country’s slide toward the abyss,” urging restraint from the protesters. He said the country is facing a sizeable regression in the path of revolution that threatens the security, unity and stability of the nation.
