KHARTOUM, April 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One Sudanese protester died as
thousands of demonstrators marched in Khartoum Saturday, many reaching the army headquarters for the first time since the deadly protests against President Omar al-Bashir erupted in December.
Chanting “one army, one people,” the protesters rallied in the capital’s
streets following a call by organisers to march on the compound, which also
houses Bashir’s residence and the defence ministry.
Organisers said earlier this week that demonstrators would gather to demand the army either “take the side of the people or the dictator’s”.
The crowds chanted the movement’s catchcry “peace, justice, freedom”,
onlookers said.
Police said a protester had died in the capital’s twin city of Omdurman.
“There were illegal gatherings in Khartoum and other states,” police
spokesman General Hashim Abdelrahim told the official SUNA news agency.
A committee of doctors that helped organise the protests confirmed that the
“martyr” was a medic.
It means the death toll in protest-related violence since December has now
risen to 32, according to officials.
Human Rights Watch has put the death toll at 51 including children and
medics.
Soon after reaching the army compound, organisers called on the protesters
to stand firm outside its fortified walls.
“At this historic moment, we ask you to not leave the army headquarters and hold a sit-in in the nearby streets,” the organisers said in a statement.
Since the start of the protests, security agents and riot police have
cracked down on demonstrators but the army has not intervened.
After a few hours, dozens of vehicles full of riot police converged near
the compound and fired tear gas at protesters in a bid to disperse them,
witnesses said, adding that some demonstrators threw rocks at the police
officers.
Late on Saturday crowds of protesters remained outside the complex, some
singing and dancing.
In a separate demonstration Saturday, protesters reached the army office in
the town of Madani southeast of the capital.
Protests have rocked the east African country since Dec 19, with angry crowds accusing Bashir’s government of mismanaging the economy, leading to soaring food prices and regular shortages of fuel and foreign currency.
They first erupted after a government decision to triple the price of bread
but quickly escalated into nationwide rallies against Bashir’s rule.
On Feb 22, the veteran leader imposed a nationwide state of emergency to quell the protests after an initial crackdown failed to rein in the rallies.
Since emergency rule came into effect, the demonstrations have been largely confined to the capital and its twin city of Omdurman.
April 6 was chosen for the nationwide rallies as it marked the 1985
uprising that toppled the then regime of president Jaafar Nimeiri.
“Although the opposition chose this symbolic date of April 6, the
government security forces treated the citizens respectfully,” government
spokesman Hassan Ismail said in a statement.
“The government is committed to holding a dialogue because there’s no other alternative.” — NNN-AGENCIES
