Thousands protest in Sudan on 3rd anniversary of anti-Bashir revolution

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) – Thousands of Sudanese demonstrated in the capital Khartoum on Monday to mark the 3rd anniversary of popular protests that led to the ouster of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir.

Protesters waved banners calling for civilian rule and an end to last year’s military takeover as they marched towards the presidential palace in central Khartoum, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter.

Monday’s protests were called by the Resistance Committees, a grassroots pro-democracy network that opposes any negotiations with the military.

Protesters also chanted slogans against a recent framework agreement between the military and civilians, which pledges a 2-year transition period and the appointment of a civilian prime minister by the political parties that signed the deal.

“We will continue our struggle against the deal,” Yusra Hussein, a member of the Resistance Committees, told Anadolu Agency.

“We have sacrificed more than 100 martyrs since the coup and we are ready to make more sacrifices in the hope of creating a new Sudan,” she added.

Police reportedly used tear gas canisters and stun grenades to disperse protesters who approached the presidential palace amid reports of injuries.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021 when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency, a move decried by political forces as a "military coup."

Popular protests against Bashir, who ruled Sudan since 1989, erupted on Dec. 19, 2018 and culminated with his ouster in April 2019.