Protests Continue Across Sudan as Another Opposition Leader Arrested

Sudanese demonstrators run from teargas lobbed to disperse them as they march along the street during anti-government protests in Khartoum, Sudan, on December 25 2018. (Photo Reuters)

December 28, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese capital and several cities across the country Friday witnessed street protests calling for regime change, while the security services in a bid to prevent the spread of protests continued to arrest opposition leaders including Omer al-Digair of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP)

Al-Digair’s detention on Friday evening occurred after the arrest of a number of opposition leading members from different parties on Thursday.

SCoP Information Secretariat said that a security force took al-Digair from his home at 6:15 pm on Friday as part of a security crackdown by the authorities against their party and the Sudanese opposition forces to stem the escalating mass protests.

Al-Digair arrest came shortly after a statement to Sudan’s Tribune calling on his party and all Sudanese to continue the demonstrations until the overthrow of the ruling regime.

"We confirm that the command of the detained party leader Omar al-Digair not to return from the middle of the road will be in the hearts and minds of each of us as we fight this battle against the former regime of Al-Ingaz," said the SCoP.

Sudanese security forces arrested on Thursday a number of opposition leading members mainly from the National Consensus Forces (NCF) factions including Sudanese Communist Party, Ba’ath Party, Nasserite Party and Unionist Movement.

According to a statement released on Thursday, the detainees are Siddiq Youssef, Jamal Idriss, Mohamed Dia al-Din, Babikir Mahgoub, Tigani Mustafa, Mrs Rahamah Attiq, Fatehi Siddiq, Hamad Musa, Ahmed Hadra and Kamal al-Suni.

Since Friday morning, Sudanese streets have witnessed a visible security presence near major mosques and important streets in an effort to limit the demonstrations that activists called for after the Friday prayer.

However, in the afternoon, the demonstrators took to the street confirming the growing unrest, with slogans and chants denouncing the regime and calling on President Omer al-Bashir to leave.

In Khartoum state, there were 14 demonstrations in the different towns and neighbourhoods, encouraging the opposition groups to be more visible, in their efforts to mobilize and lead the protests.

The riot police sought to disperse the protests in vain, while the militiamen of the ruling National Congress Party, Popular Security were less visible in the streets.

The National Umma Party (NUP) led by Sadiq al-Mahdi said in a statement released after the end of demonstrations that the mosques in the capital and different states witnessed thousands of Sudanese people took to the streets on Friday in response to calls to confront the "tyranny of the oppressive regime".

The opposition party underscored the participation of thousands of protesters in the demonstrations despite the regime attempts to intimidate people through the massive deployment of security forces.

Also, the NUP denounced the targeting of Darfurians through repeated accusations of committing violence and sabotage during the protests.

The Sudanese security services accused members of the United Popular Front (UPF), which is seen as the student arm of the Sudan Liberation Movement - Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW), of planning comment violence saying they captured 47 Molotov cocktails with them.

In the other states, massive protests were registered in Atbara, Madani, Halfa, Port Sudan; Sennar Dinder and Aba Island on the White Nile.

(ST)