Sudanese security forces on Sunday fired tear gas at multiple anti-coup rallies, with protesters in several cities joining a call for two-days of civil disobedience against last month’s military takeover.
Hundreds of anti-coup protesters rallied in the capital, Khartoum, as well as in its twin city of Omdurman, Wad Madni to the south and the northern city of Atbara.
“The authority belongs to the people,” and “no, no to military rule” they chanted as they demanded a “civilian government.”
Nationwide anti-coup protests have occurred since the Oct. 25 power grab by the army, but have been met by a deadly crackdown.
At least 14 demonstrators have been killed and about 300 wounded, the independent Central Committee of Sudan’s Doctors says.
“Protesters barricaded the streets, set car tires ablaze, called out against the military rule and chanted that civilian government is the people’s choice,” said Hoda Othman, who witnessed protests in Omdurman.
Almost two weeks ago, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the government, as well as the ruling joint military-civilian sovereign council that was supposed to lead the country toward full civilian rule.
Al-Burhan also declared a state of emergency and detained Sudan’s civilian leadership.
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was briefly detained, but later placed under effective house arrest.
Sunday’s rallies followed calls for two-days of civil disobedience made by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), an umbrella of unions which were also instrumental in the protests that led to the ouster of then-Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
“The Sudanese people have rejected the military coup,” the SPA said, vowing “no negotiation, no partnership.”
The SPA’s appeals for the civil disobedience were circulated via text messages, to bypass Internet outages in place since the putsch.
In Khartoum’s eastern Burri district, protesters built burning barricades of tires.
“Security forces later dispersed the protest by firing tear gas and began removing the barricades,” protester Mosab Abdalla said.
“We will continue to fight until the government is handed over to civilians,” said Asser Ahmed, another protester.
Earlier on Sunday, dozens of teachers also rallied against the army outside the Sudanese Ministry of Education.
“Police came and fired tear gas at us, though we were simply standing on the streets and carrying banners,” geography teacher Mohamed al-Amin said.
There were no confirmed reports of casualties, but about 87 teachers were detained, the SPA said.
Meanwhile, three former rebel leaders who last year signed a landmark peace deal with the Sudanese government condemned the coup in a statement.
“The Sudanese Revolutionary Front reiterates its stance against the coup ... and calls for the release of all detainees without condition,” Malik Agar, Al-Hady Idris, and Al-Taher Hagar said in the statement.
Following the peace deal, the three became members of Sudan’s now-ousted sovereign council.
The teachers’ rally came after the military leadership replaced heads of department at the education ministry, as part of sweeping changes it made in multiple sectors.
“The protest rejects the return of remnants of the old regime” linked to al-Bashir, the teachers’ union said.
Classes in two of Sudan’s main universities have been suspended indefinitely.
The University of Khartoum “denounced the military coup,” and decried attacks on students by armed men on Oct. 25, the day of the putsch.
The Red Sea University, in the eastern city of Port Sudan, said that it had suspended classes for “students’ safety.”
On Sunday, a high-level Arab League delegation held separate talks with al-Burhan and Hamdok on “the importance of the partnership between the military and civilians” and ways to “resolve the disagreements.”
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