Thousands of Sudanese protesters demand dissolution of the transitional government

Thousands of pro-military protesters demonstrated in central Khartoum on Saturday, vowing not to leave until the government dissolves in a threat to Sudan’s transition to civilian rule.

The protest comes as Sudanese politics are reeling from divisions between the factions leading the difficult transition from two decades of dictatorship under President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted by the army in April 2019 after weeks of massive protests. .

Saturday’s protest was organized by a splinter faction of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), a civilian alliance that spearheaded protests against Bashir and became a key pillar of the transition.

“We need a military government, the current government has failed to bring us justice and equality,” said Abboud Ahmed, a 50-year-old protester.

On Saturday night, protesters pitched tents in front of the presidential palace to demand the removal of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, a former UN economist whose IMF-backed reforms have hit the pockets of many Sudanese.

Government supporters denounced that the protest was orchestrated by supporters of the Bashir regime, which was dominated by Islamists and the military.

The protesters chanted “an army, a people” and “the army will bring us bread.”

“We are marching in a peaceful protest and we want a military government,” said housewife Enaam Mohamed.

‘Fall of the government’

Abdelnaby Abdelelah, a protester from the eastern state of Kassala, complained that the government has bypassed other states beyond Khartoum.

“We want a government that knows about things that happen in the east,” he said.

Outside the presidential palace, protesters chanted: “We will stay where we are … we want the dissolution of this government.”

Hamdok warned on Friday that the transition was facing its “worst and most dangerous” crisis.

The dominant faction of the FFC said: “The current crisis is not related to the dissolution of the government or not.

“It is designed by some parties to overthrow the revolutionary forces … paving the way for the return of the remnants of the previous regime.”

Support for the transitional government has waned in recent months amid tough economic reforms, which have included cutting fuel subsidies and a controlled floating of the Sudanese pound.

Inflation has skyrocketed, reaching 422 percent in July, before declining slightly in August and September.

Protests have rocked eastern Sudan, where protesters have blocked trade through the key hub of Port Sudan since September.

On September 21, the government said it thwarted a coup attempt that blamed military officials and civilians linked to the Bashir regime.

(AFP)