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Opposition announces general strike in Sudan

April 8, 2019 at 12:06 pm

Sudanese protesters attend an anti-government demonstration in the capital Khartoum on 14 February 2019 [AFP/Getty Images]

The Federation of Sudanese Professionals has announced its participation in a general strike all around the country, stressing that this strike will continue until authorities hand over control to a transitional government, Anadolu reported yesterday.

On Saturday, thousands of Sudanese took part in a demonstration in the centre of the capital organised by the opposition.

Police fired tear gas at the demonstrators in an effort to disperse them. Witnesses said that scores were arrested.

Monitors said that these demonstrations are the largest since the launch of the anti-government protests on 19 December last year.

Information Minister Ismail Hassan said the Sudanese forces treated the demonstrators in Khartoum “with a national spirit”.

READ: Saudi Arabia calls on its citizens in Sudan to ‘stay vigilant’ amid protests

He stressed in a statement that the Sudanese government “is sticking to the pathway of dialogue,” it has no other choice, he continued.

Meanwhile, he called for the political parties to tone down “polarisation” among the Sudanese.

Since the start of the protests, 32 Sudanese have been killed, according to government statistics, while Amnesty International puts the number at 52.

Protesters have been calling for economic reforms spurred on by a rise in the cost of basic commodities.

Police and security forces on Saturday blocked all bridges leading to the capital’s centre from Khartoum North and Omdurman, across the River Nile to the north and west respectively, in what appeared to be a bid to prevent the sit-in from swelling.

They remained closed on Sunday, causing major traffic jams. Hundreds of people were crossing into Khartoum from Omdurman via Victory Bridge by foot on Sunday morning, a Reuters witness said, as cars stood at a standstill for hours.

READ: Thousands of Sudanese protesters hold second day of sit-in outside Bashir’s compound