Sudan army reaffirms support for Bashir

Sudan’s Chief of Staff, Kamal Abdul-Marouf Al-Mahi, affirmed on Tuesday the armed forces’ commitment to “guarding the country’s security, defending its soil and standing behind its leadership.”

“We are aware of the conspiracies that have been waged against Sudan and its security and stability,” Al-Mahi said.

“I affirm our [military] commitment to guarding our homeland and standing behind its leadership to protect Sudan’s national security and its citizens,” he stressed.

The event was attended by President Omar Al-Bashir, Defence Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, and a number of leaders in the army.

On Tuesday, Al-Bashir said he was willing to hand over power to the army .“If a person wearing the khaki [the uniform of the armed forces] comes [to take power] we have no objection.”

Sudan has been witnessing protests since 19 December in several cities, including Khartoum, condemning the deterioration of living conditions. At least 40 people have been killed and nearly 500 have been injured in over 380 protests against austerity measures and the political autocracy of President Omar Al-Bashir that erupted across the country last month.

Despite the demonstrations’ peaceful nature, security forces have responded with violence. Some 1,000 are believed to have been arrested and tortured, particularly students who have been detained en masse, with many claiming they were forced to confess to being part of a terror cell.

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