Thursday morning, as crowds poured into the streets of central Khartoum, ready to regain their voices from the military that overtook their unstable government, civilians spoke of symmetry. Their current protests marked the third anniversary of the mass protests that derailed a government of tyrannical rule precisely three years ago.
Three years ago, massive protests occurred during a revolt that ousted long-time tyrant Omar al-Bashir, resulting in a power-sharing agreement between civilian and military parties. The protests concluded following a power-sharing deal between civilian and military forces, a deal that was breached in October when the military overtook.
An estimated tens of thousands of people attended the protests, ranging from Khartoum to its twin cities of Omdurman and Bahri. The crowds roared despite intimidation tactics, including heavy security and a communications blackout.
Four people got killed in the chaos that emerged. According to a tweet from the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors on Thursday, the four were shot dead by police who opened fire with live ammunition on demonstrations in Omdurman. According to the organization that keeps track of deaths during protests, they did not immediately know the name of the slain.
These protests are reemerging due to a tightening and confining military regime, ramping up security forces. Witnesses claim the dispatched security fired tear gas and water cannons as they tried to prevent the swelling crowds from storming toward the presidential palace.
Ignoring the casualties and violence, the protests continued to roar. One protester told the AFP news agency, “Any form of a coup is rejected, even with Hamdok’s return to the government. Our revolution, the glorious December revolution, is for the sake of a civil institution and a complete civil authority, not for the sake of individuals.” The protests are occurring in several cities countrywide and seem to have little to no intention of stopping until change gets made.
According to the Doctors’ Committee, at least 45 people have been killed in crackdowns on protesters since the October takeover. After reinstating the PM, the protests derailed; the country’s ousted Prime Minister Abdolla Hamdok was reinstated to his position.
