Sudan blocks bridges to Khartoum ahead of protests

Sudanese authorities yesterday blocked bridges across the capital city of Khartoum and declared an official holiday ahead of expected protests on the anniversary of the popular uprising.

In an official statement, the Khartoum State Security Coordination Committee said that all bridges over the Nile would be “closed on Wednesday, except for the Soba and Halfaya bridges,” calling on citizens to change their course of movements across the capital accordingly.

The Sudanese Council of Ministers also announced that today would be an “official holiday across the country.”

The announcement came after the Sudanese Professionals Association called for protests to overthrow what they described as the “coup council and hand over power to a full civilian government.”

READ: Sudan bans popular protests

On 6 April 2019 the largest protests in Sudan’s modern history were held calling for the ousting of the regime of President Omar Al-Bashir. The day is also the anniversary of a popular uprising that toppled the former President Jaafar Nimeir.

Since 25 October, Sudan has been witnessing protests calling for civilian rule and rejecting exceptional measures taken by the army chief, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, most notably the imposition of a state of emergency and the dissolution of the Sovereignty Councils and the transitional ministers.

Al-Burhan has repeatedly said that the measures were aimed at “correcting the course of the transitional period,” and has pledged to hand over power through elections or a national consensus. However, his rivals believe he has carried out a military coup.