Sudanese protesters rally outside Bashir's residence for 2nd day
Iran Press TV
Sun Apr 7, 2019 10:25AM
Thousands of Sudanese have held a second day of protests outside the army's headquarters in Khartoum, chanting slogans against President Omar al-Bashir's government,
The protesters gathered outside the presidential compound, which also houses the defense ministry and the army headquarters, with many of them having spent the night there.
"After what we did yesterday, we will not leave this area now until our mission is accomplished," said Osama Ahmed, a protester who spent the night outside the compound.
"We won't leave this area until he steps down," he said, referring to Bashir.
Witnesses said some protesters blocked a nearby bridge linking Khartoum with the northern Bahari district with rocks, causing huge traffic jams. The move prompted the Sudanese riot police to use teargas to disperse the crowd.
There was no immediate report on the number of possible casualties.
One dead as Sudanese protesters rally on first day
On Saturday, thousands of Sudanese men and women launched the biggest anti-government rally since protests first erupted in December last year, marching on the residence of Bashir and calling for his resignation.
Security forces fired tear gas and clashed with the protesters, arresting a number of them.
Police said a protester had lost his life in a separate demonstration in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on Saturday.
Sudanese officials say 32 people have died since the fresh wave of unrest erupted in the East African country on December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread.
Human Rights Watch has put the death toll at 51, including medics and children.
The initial public display of anger over the bread price hike spiraled into calls for 75-years-old Bashir, who took power in 1989 through a military coup, to step down.
In an attempt to further quell the rallies, the embattled president declared on February 22 a state of emergency across the African country, dissolved the central government, replaced state governors with security officials, boosted police powers and prohibited unauthorized public demonstrations.
The slew of measures, however, failed to appease the demonstrators.
The Sudanese president is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his alleged role in a genocide in the Darfur region, which he strongly denies.
Sudan has been suffering from a worsening economic crisis, including a serious shortage of foreign currency.
The cost of some commodities, including medicines, has more than doubled and inflation has hit 70 percent. A growing lack of food and fuel has also been regularly reported across several cities, including in the capital.
Bashir has reportedly lamented that he was advised to normalize ties with Israel in order to ensure stability in his country.
Last month, the London-based Middle East Eye reported that the head of Mossad had met with his Sudanese counterpart in Germany as part of a secret plan by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to oust Bashir.
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