At a time calm prevailed in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and other cities, the Sudanese Professional Association (SPA), which took the lead in organizing spontaneous protests in the country, is planning for a “tough” week of protests.
Sudanese authorities warned Wednesday the parties, that asked President Omar al-Bashir to step down, against inciting the army to carry out a coup.
There were no protests in the capital except for a humble demonstration near the Qandul square where dozens participated, during which three activists were arrested.
Apart from a small protest in al-Kandool’s square in the capital and another in al-Halawin area, there were no demonstrations around the country.
SPA announced planning for huge demonstrations around the country as of the coming week. The Association will later release a statement announcing the location and time of the protests, according to sources.
The Association organized a massive rally last week, followed by a second one on Monday, two of the largest popular protests the country has ever witnessed during President Bashir's term.
In this context, the National Umma Party, led by Sadiq al-Mahdi, joined the parties asking the President to step down and the establishment of a transitional presidential council. The party said in a statement that the protests took an important leap by signing the Declaration of Freedom and Change which will open transitional paths towards democracy.
Meanwhile, member of Communist Party Mohammad Mokhtar al-Khatib told the press on Wednesday that his party is working to mobilize the masses in cities and rural areas, and engage in demonstrations.
Khatib expressed his party’s support to the Declaration of Freedom and Change issued by SPA and signed by the opposition forces.
The National Dialogue committee reiterated the importance of pressing ahead with the implementation of National Dialogue outcomes and adherence to the unity of the country.
The parties of National Dialogue announced their total rejection of “subversive demonstrations”, indicating that peaceful protests are protected by the constitution and law, reiterating that the only way to solve issues is through dialogue.
Chairman of Liberation and Justice Party and Head of the Committee, Bahar Abu Garda acknowledged in a press conference in Khartoum there is an economic crisis facing the country and that the state is working on addressing it.
“There are apparent solutions adopted by the state and endeavors to restore confidence in banks,” Abu Garda was quoted by Sudan News Agency (SUNA). He insisted that the current crisis can be solved.
A senior official of Sudan's ruling National Congress Party accused the 22-party group, which withdrew from the national dialogue, of inciting the army to overthrow the regime.
Head of the party’s political sector, Abdul Rahman al-Khader, said the group torpedoed the national dialogue. He warned against "exploiting popular protests to implement a different agenda.”
The declaration which proposes the formation of a political transition government to lead the country for four years comes as the signatories have already agreed to coordinate their political action and back the nationwide protests.
Since last December, Sudan had been witnessing mass demonstrations in most cities, initially protesting hike in prices, however, it has evolved to demand the overthrow of the regime.
President’s security forces resorted to excessive violence using live bullets, stun grenades, tear gas and batons, while large military forces were deployed in most of the country's cities, including the capital, Khartoum.
According to an official statement, 19 people were killed and 406 injured.
On the other hand, Sudanese authorities are blocking access to popular social media platforms used to organize and broadcast nationwide anti-government protests triggered by an economic crisis, internet users say.
Local media reported there are about 13 million of Sudan's 40 million people use the Internet and more than 28 million have mobile phones.
Users of the three Internet service providers in the country, Zain, MTN and Sudani, said that access to Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp was only possible through Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Hashtag “Sudan’s cities revolt” was widely used on social media inside Sudan and abroad.
“Social media has a really big impact, and it helps with forming public opinion and transmitting what’s happening in Sudan to the outside,” Mujtaba Musa, a Sudanese Twitter user with over 50,000 followers who have been active in documenting the protests, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
NetBlocks, a digital rights NGO, said data it had collected, with the help of thousands of Sudanese volunteers, provided evidence of “an extensive internet censorship regime”.
CEO of parent company Zain Group, Bader al-Kharafi, told Reuters: “Some websites may be blocked for technical reasons beyond the company’s specialization.”
Mai Truong of US-based advocacy group Freedom House noted that Sudan has a long history of systematically censoring print and broadcast media, however, online media has been relatively untouched despite its exponential growth in recent years.
“The authorities have only now started to follow the playbook of other authoritarian governments.”
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