Putsch in Sudan: Thousands protest on uprising anniversary
Written byTimes Magazine
- People in Sudan have joined mass protests against the military takeover to mark the third anniversary of the popular uprising.
- Hundreds of thousands of people marched into Khartoum's capital, where security forces responded with tear gas.
Demonstrations in 2019 resulted in the overthrow of Sudan's longtime authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir.
Last month, ousted Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok was reappointed after being placed under house arrest during a military takeover. But the move failed to contain protests in the country, where protesters have called for entire civilian political leadership.
On Sunday, demonstrators marched to the presidential palace in Khartoum, home of coup leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, shouting: "The people are stronger, and withdrawal is impossible." They also called for the "overthrow" of General Burhan.
"All forms of coups are rejected, even with Hamdock's return to government. Our revolution, the great December Revolution, is taking place in the name of bourgeois institutions and full of bourgeois power, not in the name of the people," one protester told AFP.
The footage shows protesters waving Sudanese flags and others with photos of victims of the uprising and post-coup protests. According to an independent medical committee, at least 45 people have been killed in attacks on protesters since they came to power in October.
Putschists sing and clap as they march through Khartoum in October
Under the fluid power-sharing agreement from 2019, General Burhan was forced to step down as head of state last month and hand it over to a civilian.
He defended the coup, saying the army was acting to prevent a civil war, threatening to break out when political groups incite civilians against security forces. He said Sudan remained committed to a transition to civilian rule, with elections scheduled for July 2023.
According to an agreement with Hamdock last month, the reappointed prime minister will lead a cabinet of technocrats until the election. However, how much power will the new civilian government have, subject to military oversight?
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