Sudan's security forces disperse anti-coup protesters, arrest over 100 demonstrators

In the latest crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, Sudan’s security forces on Sunday, 7 November, dispersed demonstrators and rounded up more than 100 people in the capital of Khartoum. It is to mention that the Sudanese military seized power last month and dissolved the transitional government, arresting dozens of officials and politicians. The military coup triggered a wave of demonstrations in the streets of Khartoum and elsewhere in the nation, and it also drew international criticism. 

Amid the ongoing chaos, the Sudanese military on Sunday used tear gas to disperse the protesters and even arrested at least 113 people, according to AP. It is to mention that Sunday was the first of two days of nationwide strikes called by the Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA), which vowed to continue demonstrating until a fully civilian government is established to lead the transition. While teachers and education workers protested the coup outside the Education Ministry in Khartoum’s district of Bahri, there were also sporadic demonstrations elsewhere in the capital city. 

Aftermath of Sudan military coup

Meanwhile, the protest movement in Sudan comes as mediation efforts between the military and civilian leaders have stumbled. A military official with knowledge of the ongoing efforts told AP that mediators, including the UN envoy in Sudan, were still working to soften the stand of each side, as both sides are still stuck to their pre-conditions before engaging in “meaningful, possibly direct talks”. The UN chief has also separately called for a “reverse coup” and said, “Time to go back to the legitimate constitutional arrangements”. 

Separately, the deposed PM Abdalla Hamdok, who is still under house arrest, has insisted on releasing government officials and politicians detained in connection with the coup. Hamdok also wants “guarantees” that the Sudanese army would return to the pre-coup power-sharing arrangement. The army, on the other hand, has insisted that the 25 October events did not amount to a “coup” and that it stepped in to “correct the course” of the transitional period. 

In the weeks following the coup, the Sudanese military has given mixed signals. The army allowed four ministers to return to their homes under house arrest. But it also arrested three leaders from the Forces for Freedom and Change, a coalition that was born out of the 2019 protest movement, shortly after they met with UN officials in Khartoum. It is to mention that the military takeover of the country has upended the country’s weak planned transition to democratic rule, stated AP.

(With inputs from AP)