Sudan: Further protests planned January 18, 20, 22, and 24 /update 20

Event

Opposition activists have called for further anti-government protests to take place throughout Sudan in the coming hours and days. Protests are scheduled to take place, notably in the capital Khartoum and in Omdurman on Friday, January 18, notably after Friday prayers. On Sunday, January 19, protests are expected to be held in Omdurman, from Tijani al-Mahdi Hospital to the National Assembly; sporadic protests are also expected across the capital. On Tuesday, January 22, evening protests have been called in the Ombada and El Haj Yousef towns of Khartoum state, as well as in the capital. On Thursday January 24, the organizers called for nationwide protests. 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.

Opposition organizations are also calling for nightly protests to be held in Khartoum and other urban areas in the near-term.

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 18.

Context

The Sudanese government blocked social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, on 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), Khartoum, and even in the Darfur region in Al-Fasher and Nyala - 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 26 people have died in the protests and more than 1000 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.