Sudan: Further protests planned January 15-17 /update 18

Event

Opposition activists, along with the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) and the Sudanese Youth Coalition have called for anti-government demonstrations to take place in the capital Khartoum on Tuesday, January 15. A protest possibly starting at 12:00 (local time) is likely to take place at the El Baladiya Ave, El Mek Nimir, and Al Souk al Arabi areas of the capital. Another protest is expected to start at 17.00 at Sooq al-Laffa (Laffa Market) in the al-Kalakla area, southwest of Khartoum. Further protests are expected on January 16, notably in Kassala state. Furthermore, associations have called for demonstrations in Khartoum and all major urban centers in Sudan on January 17. Opposition organizations are also calling for nightly protests to be held in Khartoum and other urban areas in the near-term.

Heightened security measures and localized transportation disruptions are to be expected around any demonstration sites, and further clashes between protesters and security forces are likely.

Furthermore, doctors nationwide stated that their strike ongoing since December 24 will continue indefinitely to denounce violence at the Omdurman hospital on January 9. Pharmacists, who also announced a general strike and closure of all pharmacies from December 25 in solidarity with the doctors, also remain on strike as of January 15.

Context

The Sudanese government blocked social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as of December 31 to suppress ongoing anti-government protests in the country. Anti-government protests broke out on December 19 as hundreds of protesters gathered in major urban centers - notably in Atbara (Nile River state), Al-Qadarif (Al-Qadarif state), Port Sudan (Red Sea state), and Khartoum - initially to demand increased government transparency and the implementation of anti-inflation measures; their demands have since broadened to demand that President Omar al-Bashir, in power since 1989, step down. Curfews have been implemented in at least eight cities in response to the unrest, including in Kosti and Rabak (White Nile state), Al-Qadarif (Al-Qadarif state), Atbara, Al-Damir, and Berber (River Nile state), as well as in Dongola and Karima (Northern state). At least 22 people have died in the protests and over 800 others have been detained since they began.

Advice

Individuals in Sudan are advised to monitor the situation, anticipate telecommunication disruptions, obey all instructions issued by their home government as well as those of the local authorities (including curfew orders), and avoid all protests due to the risk of violence and arrest.