Sudan: Youth plan further anti-regime protests

The Youth for Change organisation has called for protests throughout Sudan on March 21.

The February 28 Sudan Tribune reported that spokesperson Magdi Okasha said their aim is to overthrow the regime.

The call follows a series of anti-government protests by youth and students, most notably on January 30, when thousands of students inspired by the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt were met with violence from security forces.

Many activists arrested during and after the protests remain in jail without charge.

University of Sudan fine arts graduate Safia Ishag, a participant in the January 30 protests, was beaten and raped by three agents from the National Intelligence and Security Services on February 13. Girifna.com has posted a video of Ishag’s testimony online.

The Sudan Tribune said on February 24 that riot police and security personnel surrounded hundreds of protesters who blocked a main road in Khartoum to demand changes to dangerous traffic conditions. Police were forced to back away after protesters threw stones.

The demonstration ended eight hours later when government trucks arrived to erect traffic lights.

On February 27, Reuters said more than 100 police and security forces surrounded the offices of the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement in Khartoum to try to prevent a protest against electoral fraud by the regime.

Protesters were blocked from delivering a petition to the National Elections Commission.

Al Midan said on February 28 that opposition groups had met the previous day to call for the release of political prisoners and an end to torture. Opposition spokesperson Farooq Abu Issa called on young people to continue exercising their right to demonstrate.

Sudanese Communist Party leader Mohamed Ibrahim Nugud proposed a delegation be sent to exchange ideas with the revolutionary movements in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia.

On February 21, Al Jazeera said President Omer al Bashir announced he would not re-contest the presidency in 2015. This is the latest in a series of measures aimed at undercutting widespread discontent with his rule.

The government has been also accused of endangering the lives of Sudanese in Libya after foreign ministry representative Khalid Musa on February 24 accused Darfur rebels of assisting Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi’s violent campaign against protesters.