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21 January 2019
Sudanese protesters, activists and opposition groups are showing resilience as security forces continue to brutally repress demonstrations. The civil rights revolution has now been likened to the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, with 300 protests reportedly registered in cities and towns across Sudan since the 19th December 2018.
Speaking to The Associated Press (AP), protesters have described using medical masks soaked in vinegar or yeast and tree leaves to protect themselves against tear gas attacks. “There is little we can do about snipers except that some of us search rooftops or scream ‘sniper’ once we spot one, so more people can take care,” said University graduate Abdul-Metaal Saboun. Detained for three days during the protests, Saboun tells AP he was tortured by security forces. “There is nothing that makes me frightened of them anymore”.
On the 20th January, thousands took to the streets in Omdurman where protesters were targeted again by the excessive use of tear gas. One of the vehicles of the security service overturned as it chased the demonstrators at high speed, wounding many. Several videos posted to social media showed the protesters gathering grenades of teargas. Visibly, they were not armed, the Sudan Tribune reports.
Abuses against protesters, including detainment, harassment and torture, are ongoing. The death toll continues to rise, with opposition groups claiming the number of fatalities has now exceeded 50. Some cities have imposed night-time curfews and emergency laws while separate reports tell of security forces shaving the heads of those who protest against the regime.
Under the scrutiny of rights groups and Western nations, Omar al-Bashir has once again shirked the crimes committed under his government, blaming “infiltrators and saboteurs” for the tolls of victims. The President insists that detainees from rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) confessed to infiltrating mass-demonstrations in a plot to destroy Sudan. SLM-AW Leader Abdel-Wahid Al-Nu has dismissed the claim as an “unfounded accusation“.