Sudanese women declare hunger strike amid protests

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM (AA) – A number of Sudanese women on Tuesday maintained their hunger strike for the second day in a row amid calls for widespread civil disobedience to protest government austerity measures.

"Women activists and members of Sudanese civil society have gone on a three-day hunger strike to support our people’s campaign of civil disobedience," Sudanese activist Hadia Hassab Allah told Anadolu Agency.

"We call on the president [Omar al-Bashir] to step down in order to restore democracy and our people’s dignity," she added.

As the disobedience campaign gathered momentum on Tuesday morning, today’s editions of four Sudanese dailies were confiscated from print houses by the authorities.

Al-Ayam Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Nasr Aldin Altybe told Anadolu Agency that Sudanese security organs had confiscated the Tuesday editions of the Al-Ayam, Aljareeda, Alyoum Altaly and Altayar newspapers.

"We believe today’s edition of our paper was confiscated due to our coverage of the positive public response to the civil disobedience calls," Altybe said.

The Sudanese Journalist Network (SNJ), an NGO, reported that the authorities had closed down a private television station -- and confiscated editions of two daily newspapers -- on Sunday night.

In a statement to Anadolu Agency on Monday, the SNJ said the private Omdurman television channel had been closed down, while the Sunday editions of two newspapers -- Aljareeda and Al-Ayam -- had been seized.

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP), however, has downplayed the effects of the disobedience campaign.

NCP spokesman Amar Bashari told Anadolu Agency that daily life in capital Khartoum was "running smoothly".

"This movement [of civil disobedience] is led by opposition parties and rebel movements and shows a lack of national responsibility," he said.

"The people have not responded to it," he added.

On Sunday, social-media activists issued calls for widespread civil disobedience to protest a recent government decision to lift subsidies on fuel, electricity and medicine.

A number of Sudanese opposition parties and rebel groups have reportedly thrown their support behind the protest calls.