05 Feb 2019 | 10:56 AM UTC
Sudan: Anti-government protests in Khartoum February 7 /update 26
Police forces disperse anti-government protesters in Khartoum and Omdurman February 4; further protests scheduled for February 7
Event
Police forces fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators gathered in the capital Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman on Monday, February 4. Protesters are calling for President Omar al-Bashir to step down amid a seventh consecutive week of protests.
The Sudanese Professional Association (SPA) has called for further protests to take place in Khartoum on Thursday, February 7, starting at 13:00 (local time). Other protests are possible in the coming days in the capital and other urban centers. Heightened security measures and localized transportation disruptions are to be expected around any demonstration sites. Clashes between protesters and security forces are possible.
Context
Anti-government protests began on December 19, 2018, as hundreds of protesters gathered in major urban centers - notably Atbara (River Nile state), Al-Qadarif (Al-Qadarif state), Port Sudan (Red Sea state), Khartoum, and Al-Fashir and Nyala in the Darfur region. Protests initially demanded increased government transparency and improved economic policies but have broadened to demand the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir, who has been in power since 1989 and vowed not to step down until at least 2020. Curfews have been implemented in at least eight cities, including Kosti and Rabak (White Nile state), Al-Qadarif, Atbara, Al-Damir and Berber (River Nile state), and Dongola and Karima (Northern state). The Sudanese government has also blocked or limited access to social media sites since December 31, 2018. Continued connectivity and telecommunications disruptions are to be expected in the near term. The government has confirmed the deaths of at least 30 people due to protests, though human rights groups claim as many as 51 people have died and 1000 others have been arrested since the protests began.
Advice
Individuals in Sudan are advised to monitor the situation, anticipate telecommunications disruptions, adhere to 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.
