The brave uprising in Sudan

January 26, 2022 - 10:17

Medics say three more demonstrators have been killed after Sudanese security forces fired live rounds and teargas in further protests against the country’s military rulers.

The latest in a series of demonstrations saw tens of thousands of protesters pouring their anger on the streets in cities across the country.

Ever since the military took power on October 25 ending a partnership with civilian political parties after the removal of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir as Sudan's ruler in 2019, the protests, along with barricades throughout the capital have been ongoing. Last week also saw a general strike in the country.

According to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, which has aligned itself with the protest movement, the latest deaths mean around 76 protesters have been killed and more than 2,000 others injured in a large-scale deadly crackdown by the military, mainly by gunshots and teargas canisters.

The doctors' group said, "our people are protesting peacefully and using all forms of nonviolent resistance towards a free, democratic, and just country, only to be confronted by the military with the worst crimes”.

According to the group, two protesters were killed at a demonstration in the capital Khartoum, one shot in the chest and the other in the head.

It says other protesters were injured in Khartoum and the city of Omdurman.

Witnesses saw security forces using teargas and stun grenades as protesters stood around 1.2 km from the presidential palace.

In the cities of Bahri and Omdurman, witnesses saw a heavy security presence and teargas being fired on the main road.

The protests were called by neighborhood resistance committees, which advocate a stance of "no legitimacy, no negotiation, no partnership" towards the military rulership.

One committee reported the arrest of at least four members. Another said its headquarters were raided.

Large protests were held in the city of Madani, where witnesses say protesters marched towards the house of a protester killed on Friday before heading to the state government building.

The third protester was killed there, with gunshots to the head and shoulder, the doctors' committee said.

Protesters are still coming out every day despite being shot down by the military forces, the Sudanese people have also been subjected to internet disconnections, while activists have been targeted and arrested in pre-emptive strikes.

Social media users have shared images of other protests in the cities of El Fasher, Shendi, and Elobeid.

The Sudanese military has also raided media stations and warned them to stop covering the mass protest movement in the country.

The military authorities are widely believed to be strongly aligned with the United States along with the Israeli regime.

Experts say western countries continue to supply financial recourses, weapons, and diplomatic cover to the so-called transitional military council headed by General Abdul Fatah al-Burhan, especially the United States, despite publicly stating otherwise.

As well as promoting the military and being supportive of the ousted and now resigned interim Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok; they have also been facilitating closer ties between Sudan and the Israeli regime.

With the backing of foreign powers who are supplying weapons to the Sudanese military, the army arrested women’s rights activists over the weekend as well as detaining people from the resistance committees that are operating in the neighborhoods of the capital and other cities.

The struggle is not just limited to the military but it has become obvious the people’s movement is also against imperialism and foreign hands interfering in Sudan’s sovereignty.

This is while foreign allies of the military are afraid of losing their grip on the country.

Sudan is a very important geostrategic country that is a gateway to North Africa and Central Africa.

It’s an oil-rich state and it’s also a state that has historically supported anti-imperialist struggles including the Palestinian struggle for the liberation of their land from the occupying Israeli regime.

Over the last few years, that has changed, the country under the military leadership was forced to accept the so-called Abraham accords under the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump that normalized relations between Sudan and the Israeli regime in return for $1 billion in annual financing.

General al-Burhan said that “Sudan’s relationship with Israel may eventually take a natural form.” In a previous interview with Saudi Arabian state media, al-Burhan claimed that normalization with Israel was “necessary to return Sudan to the international community.”

The civilian political parties begged to differ and opposed any form of deal with officials saying they will unite in their opposition against the agreement.

Those parties have in essence been taken out of the picture. But it remains another demand of the protesters, that Khartoum scraps any normalization of ties with the Israeli regime.

Nevertheless, behind the scenes, there have been delegations heading to the occupying Israeli regime and there have been Israeli delegations arriving in Sudan.

The Israeli regime, backed by the United States, is behind the campaign to turn as many countries as possible in Africa and West Asia against their solidarity and support for the state of Palestine and the Palestinian cause.

This is the undercurrent of the so-called Abraham accords and other campaigns being carried out in Africa and West Asia, to try and split the African, Arab and non-Arab communities so they support the Israeli regime.

There is also a movement to infiltrate the African Union to achieve the same goal. This is the objective and Sudan is key to this strategy.

Despite the military gunning down protesters on a regular basis, It’s a very critical struggle by the people of Sudan for the entire region of North Africa, the Horn of Africa. What happens in Sudan has ripple effects on the security of Ethiopia as well as Egypt vis-à-vis its relationship with the United States and the Israeli regime.

In 2019, after months of protests, Omar al-Bashir was disposed but was replaced not by the people’s choice and popular power but by a so-called military transitional council.

That did not satisfy the protesters and the military-installed a civilian Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok; only to later detain him and then release and reinstall him again.

However, Hamdok resigned as protesters are demanding a civilian rule with no military interference. Many of the protesters also accused Hamdok of colluding with the military.

The sheer resilience of the people and the masses on the streets means the battle against the military will not be abating anytime soon. The people want civilian rule and democracy and they want it now.

It’s up to military forces and their U.S. backers to create the conditions for the emergence of a civilian government which is the core demand of the protesters.

The military must now return to their barracks and allow the civilian population to discuss and openly debate what political future they want.

It’s up to the people to decide their future leadership and as things stand they are displaying their anger with the military on a regular basis and they are showing their anger at the foreign hands interfering in their country.

That anger does not appear to be subsiding until the army officers’ rule is toppled. It’s a very brave struggle as the civilian protesters are being met with the full force of the military.