Sudan's unions call for a second march on presidential palace

An umbrella group of independent professional unions has called on people to march on the presidential palace in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, to demand that leader Omar Bashir step down, signalling that protests against the 29-year rule of the autocratic president are showing no sign of abating.

کد خبر: ۸۶۵۱۶۰

تاریخ: ۱۰ دی ۱۳۹۷ - ۰۸:۵۱

It's the second time that the umbrella group, which enjoys the support of opposition parties, has called for a march on the presidential palace since protests began more than a week ago.

On Christmas Day, thousands attempted to reach the Nile-side palace in central Khartoum, clashing with police, who used tear gas and batons to disperse them. The day also witnessed protests in a string of Sudanese cities.

Although the protesters never reached the palace, their action on Tuesday showed the depth of popular discontent with Bashir's rule. Protesters numbering in the hundreds or very low thousands gathered in dozen or so venues across the city and fought pitched battles with police for hours before they dispersed after nightfall.

This time, the umbrella group of unions is urging protesters in a statement to stay on the streets until they usher in 2019 after midnight, local time. It also called on people outside Khartoum to stage street protests. January 1 marks the anniversary of Sudan's 1956 independence from Anglo-Egyptian rule.

"It is another round to affirm our immediate and unquestionable demand to bring down Bashir and his regime," said the statement, which appealed to security forces to refrain from using deadly force against Monday's protesters.

Bashir, meanwhile, vowed in a meeting with police commanders on Sunday that his government would not allow "saboteurs" to undermine the stability and security of the country, according to the state news agency.

"Sudan is facing an economic challenge but, despite the circumstances it's going through, remains better than other nations and enjoys stability and security," the agency quoted him as saying.

An Islamist, Bashir sought to justify the killing of protesters by police, quoting from the Quran to argue that from punishment by death comes life, according to a video clip of his comments. "In reality, it's deterrence to others so that we can maintain security, which is a valuable commodity and, God willing, we will not risk the security of the citizens or the nation," he told the police commanders.

"The objective is not to kill the protesters, but the ultimate aim is to safeguard the security and stability of citizens."

Monday's protests, if they materialize, would be the latest in anti-government demonstrations that began Dec. 19, initially over rising prices and shortages of basic food data-x-items and fuel. They soon turned political, with calls on Bashir to step down.