Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir said that his resignation would only take place through the “elections”, stressing that social media would not succeed in overthrowing his government.
He mocked his opponents’ use of social media to mobilize protesters against his regime, saying that Facebook and WhatsApp could not replace presidents.
“Changing the government or presidents cannot be done through WhatsApp or Facebook,” Bashir told a televised rally attended by hundreds of loyalists in the eastern town of Kassala.
“It can be done only through elections. It’s only the people who decide who will be the president,” he added.
His statements came in parallel with massive street protests on Thursday, upon an invitation by the Sudanese Professionals Gathering. Security forces fired tear gas at protesters after they closed a number of main roads in Khartoum and its three cities, including Omdurman.
More than 17 towns and cities across the country have staged mass demonstrations, including the town of Wad Madani (central), Qudarif and Port Sudan (east) and a number of villages in the central state of Jazira, the Sudanese Professionals Gathering said on its Facebook page.
Videos circulated on social media showed renowned football player Haitham Mustafa leading demonstrations in the area of Berri east of Khartoum.
On a different note, the Sudanese president also announced on Thursday the reopening of his country’s eastern border with Eritrea, which has been closed since last year.
“I announce here, from Kassala, that we are opening the border with Eritrea because they are our brothers and our people. Politics will not divide us,” he said.
Sudan closed the border in January 2018, after the president declared a six-month state of emergency in the regions of Kassala and North Kurdufan, under the pretext of military threats by the Asmara’s government near the borders of the two countries.
