Mass Protests Rock The Sudan's Capital Khartoum As Political Crisis Intensifies

Gravitas: Protests resume in the Sudan after few days of calm

Around seven people were killed on Sunday as tens of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tens-of-thousands-protest-to-demand-civilian-rule-in-sudan-231807">thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum</a> demanding the ruling military hand over to civilians.

The local media quoting a health ministry official said that ''seven were killed in the protests'' but they didn't mention how they died or their identification.

Another 181 people were also injured, including 27 with bullets, the local media further added.

Several protesters waved the Sudanese flag and chanted "civilian, civilian" and "blood for blood" in several parts of the capital.

The security forces fired tear gas on protestors in the northern Khartoum district of Bahri and in Mamura and Arkweit, in the capital's east.

Watch:&nbsp;Military to blame civilians for clashes

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Sudan’s military rulers overthrew president Omar al-Bashir on April 11 after months of demonstrations against his rule.

The citizens since then have been demanding civilian rule.

"We're fed up with the military. For decades this country has been ruled by the military. It didn't work and it will not work," said protester Nada Adel, 28.&nbsp;

Around seven people were killed on Sunday as tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum demanding the ruling military hand over to civilians. The local media quoting a health ministry official said that ''seven were killed in the protests'' but they didn't mention how they died or their identification.

Around seven people were killed on Sunday as tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum demanding the ruling military hand over to civilians. The local media quoting a health ministry official said that ''seven were killed in the protests'' but they didn't mention how they died or their identification. Another 181 people were also injured, including 27 with bullets, the local media further added. Several protesters waved the Sudanese flag and chanted "civilian, civilian" and "blood for blood" in several parts of the capital. The security forces fired tear gas on protestors in the northern Khartoum district of Bahri and in Mamura and Arkweit, in the capital's east. Watch: Military to blame civilians for clashes Sudan’s military rulers overthrew president Omar al-Bashir on April 11 after months of demonstrations against his rule. The citizens since then have been demanding civilian rule. "We're fed up with the military. For decades this country has been ruled by the military. It didn't work and it will not work," said protester Nada Adel, 28.

At least seven dead in Sudan's massive protest over civilian rule

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum on Sunday demanding the ruling military hand over to civilians, in the largest demonstrations since a deadly security service raid on a protest camp three weeks ago.

Protesters waved the Sudanese flag and chanted "civilian, civilian" and "blood for blood" in several parts of the capital as security forces looked on. Opposition groups posted videos of what they said were rallies in other cities.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-sudans-economic-crisis-had-a-role-in-protests-that-toppled-al-bashir-216685">Sudan</a>’s military rulers overthrew president Omar al-Bashir on April 11 after months of demonstrations against his rule.

Opposition groups kept up their streets protests as they pressed the military hand over to civilians.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/russia-joins-gulf-states-in-coaching-sudans-military-227032">Russia joins Gulf states in coaching Sudan military</a>

Talks broke down and protests paused after security services raided a sit-in protest outside the defence ministry on June 3. But there has been a run of smaller demonstrations in recent days, and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) opposition coalition called for a million people to turn out on Sunday.

There was no immediate comment from the ruling military council which had warned a day earlier that the coalition would bear the responsibility for any loss of life or damage resulting from the rallies.

Members of one of the main opposition groups - the Sudanese Professionals' Association - said security services raided its headquarters on Saturday night as it was about to give a news conference.

The United Nations has said it has received reports that more than 100 protesters were killed and many more injured at the sit-in protest on June 3.

Military leaders have denied ordering a raid on the camp and said a crackdown on criminals nearby had spilled over to the sit-in. The council has said some officers had been detained for presumed responsibility and it still intends to hand over power after elections.

Mediators led by the African Union and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have since been trying to broker a return to direct talks.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum on Sunday demanding the ruling military hand over to civilians, in the largest demonstrations since a deadly security service raid on a protest camp three weeks ago.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum on Sunday demanding the ruling military hand over to civilians, in the largest demonstrations since a deadly security service raid on a protest camp three weeks ago. Protesters waved the Sudanese flag and chanted "civilian, civilian" and "blood for blood" in several parts of the capital as security forces looked on. Opposition groups posted videos of what they said were rallies in other cities. Sudan’s military rulers overthrew president Omar al-Bashir on April 11 after months of demonstrations against his rule. Opposition groups kept up their streets protests as they pressed the military hand over to civilians. Also read: Russia joins Gulf states in coaching Sudan military Talks broke down and protests paused after security services raided a sit-in protest outside the defence ministry on June 3. But there has been a run of smaller demonstrations in recent days, and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) opposition coalition called for a million people to turn out on Sunday. There was no immediate comment from the ruling military council which had warned a day earlier that the coalition would bear the responsibility for any loss of life or damage resulting from the rallies. Members of one of the main opposition groups - the Sudanese Professionals' Association - said security services raided its headquarters on Saturday night as it was about to give a news conference. The United Nations has said it has received reports that more than 100 protesters were killed and many more injured at the sit-in protest on June 3. Military leaders have denied ordering a raid on the camp and said a crackdown on criminals nearby had spilled over to the sit-in. The council has said some officers had been detained for presumed responsibility and it still intends to hand over power after elections. Mediators led by the African Union and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have since been trying to broker a return to direct talks.

Tens of thousands protest to demand civilian rule in Sudan

Sudanese protest leaders on Saturday said they accepted the creation of a civilian-majority governing body for a political transition in Sudan as proposed by an Ethiopian envoy.

The compromise blueprint suggests the creation of a 15-member governing body comprising of eight civilians and seven members of the military, they said.

The ruling military council has yet to give its decision on the Ethiopian proposal.&nbsp;

Sudan has been wracked by tensions between protest leaders and generals, who seized power after ousting president Omar Bashir in April, and the situation was exacerbated after the bloody crackdown on a protest sit-in demanding civilian rule.

"We think that our acceptance of the proposal is a major leap towards meeting the goals of the revolution, which are freedom, peace and justice," protest leader Babiker Faisal told reporters in a brief statement.

"It will put the country on the right track to create the transitional period that would usher in sustainable democracy."

Of the eight civilians, seven will be from the umbrella protest movement the Alliance for Freedom and Change, another protest leader Amjad Farid had told AFP earlier on Saturday.&nbsp;

Ethiopia has stepped up its efforts to resolve the political crisis in Sudan since the deadly June 3 dispersal of a long-running protest camp outside army headquarters in Khartoum.

The crackdown carried out by men in military fatigues killed dozens and wounded hundreds.

- 'Burning inside' - 
Later on Saturday, a group of young protesters took to the streets in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, chanting "free revolutionaries, we will keep on track".

Ahmed, a 21-year old protester, said he would keep demonstrating until justice is served for his brother who was killed during the dispersal of the sit-in.&nbsp;

"I am burning inside. I want justice for my brother," he said.&nbsp;

Since the break up of the sit-in, demonstrations have been restricted, particularly with heavy deployment of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.&nbsp;

Several pick-up trucks packed with RSF were roaming around the area where the small demonstration was held in Omdurman.&nbsp;

Witnesses say protesters set tyres on fire in some streets in the city.&nbsp;

The bloody June 3 break up of the rally came after talks between protest leaders and the generals failed to reach an agreement on the composition of a new ruling body and who should lead it -- a civilian or soldier.

Days after the crackdown, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed led the mediation between the two sides.

In previous talks before the June 3 crackdown, protest leaders and the generals had agreed on a three-year transition period and to form a 300-member parliament, with two-third lawmakers from the protest movement.

But the deputy chief of the ruling transitional military council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, dismissed that the umbrella alliance would get two-third of the lawmakers.

Dagalo, speaking at a rally of his supporters in a village outside of Khartoum, said it is "not possible" for the alliance to take two-third of parliament.

"No one accepts this," said Dagalo, widely known as Hemeidti, who also heads the RSF.&nbsp;

Protesters allege that it were members of the RSF who carried out the June 3 dispersal of protesters.&nbsp;

At least 128 people have been killed in the crackdown, the majority of them on that day, doctors linked to the protest movement say.

The health ministry put the June 3 death toll at 61 nationwide.

The generals deny they ordered the army HQ protest broken up, insisting they authorised only a limited operation to clear drug dealers from around the camp.

It expressed "regret" over the "excesses" that happened on June 3.

Sudanese protest leaders on Saturday said they accepted the creation of a civilian-majority governing body for a political transition in Sudan as proposed by an Ethiopian envoy.

Sudanese protest leaders on Saturday said they accepted the creation of a civilian-majority governing body for a political transition in Sudan as proposed by an Ethiopian envoy. The compromise blueprint suggests the creation of a 15-member governing body comprising of eight civilians and seven members of the military, they said. The ruling military council has yet to give its decision on the Ethiopian proposal. Sudan has been wracked by tensions between protest leaders and generals, who seized power after ousting president Omar Bashir in April, and the situation was exacerbated after the bloody crackdown on a protest sit-in demanding civilian rule. "We think that our acceptance of the proposal is a major leap towards meeting the goals of the revolution, which are freedom, peace and justice," protest leader Babiker Faisal told reporters in a brief statement. "It will put the country on the right track to create the transitional period that would usher in sustainable democracy." Of the eight civilians, seven will be from the umbrella protest movement the Alliance for Freedom and Change, another protest leader Amjad Farid had told AFP earlier on Saturday. Ethiopia has stepped up its efforts to resolve the political crisis in Sudan since the deadly June 3 dispersal of a long-running protest camp outside army headquarters in Khartoum. The crackdown carried out by men in military fatigues killed dozens and wounded hundreds. - 'Burning inside' - Later on Saturday, a group of young protesters took to the streets in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, chanting "free revolutionaries, we will keep on track". Ahmed, a 21-year old protester, said he would keep demonstrating until justice is served for his brother who was killed during the dispersal of the sit-in. "I am burning inside. I want justice for my brother," he said. Since the break up of the sit-in, demonstrations have been restricted, particularly with heavy deployment of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Several pick-up trucks packed with RSF were roaming around the area where the small demonstration was held in Omdurman. Witnesses say protesters set tyres on fire in some streets in the city. The bloody June 3 break up of the rally came after talks between protest leaders and the generals failed to reach an agreement on the composition of a new ruling body and who should lead it -- a civilian or soldier. Days after the crackdown, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed led the mediation between the two sides. In previous talks before the June 3 crackdown, protest leaders and the generals had agreed on a three-year transition period and to form a 300-member parliament, with two-third lawmakers from the protest movement. But the deputy chief of the ruling transitional military council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, dismissed that the umbrella alliance would get two-third of the lawmakers. Dagalo, speaking at a rally of his supporters in a village outside of Khartoum, said it is "not possible" for the alliance to take two-third of parliament. "No one accepts this," said Dagalo, widely known as Hemeidti, who also heads the RSF. Protesters allege that it were members of the RSF who carried out the June 3 dispersal of protesters. At least 128 people have been killed in the crackdown, the majority of them on that day, doctors linked to the protest movement say. The health ministry put the June 3 death toll at 61 nationwide. The generals deny they ordered the army HQ protest broken up, insisting they authorised only a limited operation to clear drug dealers from around the camp. It expressed "regret" over the "excesses" that happened on June 3.

Sudan protesters accept Ethiopia proposal for political transition

Russia has emerged as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ silent partner in assisting the Sudan military’s efforts to weaken, if not defeat, a months-long popular revolt that has already toppled president Omar al-Bashir.

Documents leaked to The Guardian and MHK Media, a Russian-language news website, by the London-based Dossier Centre, an investigative group funded by exiled Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky, disclosed Russia’s hitherto behind-the-scenes role in Sudan.

Laying out plans to bolster Russia’s position across Africa by building relations with rulers, striking military deals, and grooming a new generation of leaders and undercover agents, the documents included details of a campaign to smear anti-government protesters in Sudan.

The plan for the campaign appeared to have been copy-pasted from proposals to counter opposition in Russia to president Vladimir Putin with references to Russia mistakenly not having been replaced with Sudan in one document.

Russia advised the Sudanese military to use fake news and videos to portray demonstrators as anti-Islamic, pro-Israeli and pro-LGBT. The plan also suggested increasing the price of newsprint to make it harder for critics to get their message out and to discover “foreigners” at anti-government rallies.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a St. Petersburg-based businessman and close associate of Putin, complained in a letter to Bashir before he was overthrown that the president was not following his advice.

Prigozhin, who was indicted by US special counsel Robert Mueller for operating a troll factory that ran an extensive social media campaign that favoured of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, was according to the documents a key player in efforts to enhance Russian influence in Africa.

Prigozhin accused Bashir and his government of not being active enough and adopting an “extremely cautious position.”

If a visit this week to Sudan by foreign journalists at the invitation of the military to show them medical facilities that had allegedly been ransacked by protesters and demonstrate that hospitals that had been attacked by notorious paramilitary forces associated with Sudanese army were returning to normal, is anything to go by, Prigozhin’s criticism may have merit.

“It must have seemed like a good idea to somebody, although I cannot imagine why. The plan was to show us how terribly the protesters had behaved. If the world could see what they were really like they would understand that the regime had no choice but to send in the militia. Except from the moment we arrived at the first medical facility things started to go wrong,” said the BBC’s Africa editor, Fergal Keane.

To Keane, the omnipresence of paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) made the paramilitary headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo aka Hemedti, believed to be a Saudi and UAE favourite because his troops fought in Yemen and his reputation for ruthlessness, look “more like an army of occupation than an internal security force.”

Widely viewed as ambitious and power-hungry, General Dagalo resembles in the eyes of protesters Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the autocratic general-turned-president who in 2013 staged a Saudi-UAE-backed military coup that toppled Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president.

Defending the UAE’s contacts with the military council, Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said his country’s “credibility is our means to contribute to enhancing peaceful transition in a way that preserves the state and its institutions.”

Human Rights Watch this week called on the United Nations Security Council to halt the withdrawal of peacekeepers from Darfur, noting that the Rapid Support Forces “have a long track record of abuse. They carried out highly abusive counter-insurgency campaigns in Darfur, and the Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile regions over the past five years, in which they attacked villages, killed and raped civilians, and burned and looted homes.”

Witnesses outside a medical facility and a hospital that Keane visited countered the military’s tale, describing how troops stormed the buildings and looted and destroyed facilities. “The international community has to intervene. There is no peace here in Sudan. People are suffering a lot… I am frightened for my country," said a man as he drove by Omdurman Hospital.

The failed public relations tour, the crackdown, the Russian guidance and stalled talks between protesters and the military fits a Saudi-UAE promoted pattern that has evolved across the Middle East and North Africa since the 2011 popular Arab revolts. It’s a pattern that aims to defeat popular protest at whatever cost.

The Sudanese protest movement has emerged from the crackdown that doctors said killed at least 118 people and efforts to delegitimise it battered, divided and potentially weakened but still standing.

A general strike declared at the beginning of this week initially paralysed the capital Khartoum but within a day or two appeared to be weakening.

Ethiopian mediator Mahmoud Dirir said on Tuesday that the protesters had agreed to end the strike while the governing Transitional Military Council (TMC), headed by officers with close ties to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, was ready to release political prisoners, one of several key demands of the protesters.

Dirir said the two sides had also agreed to “soon” resume talks to resolve the crisis even if they were nowhere near narrowing differences of returning Sudan to civilian rule. It was not clear what soon meant.

“Negotiation - even if it happens soon - will circle back to the same issue: will the military cede power to a civilian government? Nothing about the generals' actions has indicated that this is an imminent possibility. The fear is that they will use any negotiations to try to divide the opposition while security pressure is maintained on the streets,” Keane said.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Russia has emerged as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ silent partner in assisting the Sudan military’s efforts to weaken, if not defeat, a months-long popular revolt that has already toppled president Omar al-Bashir.

Russia has emerged as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ silent partner in assisting the Sudan military’s efforts to weaken, if not defeat, a months-long popular revolt that has already toppled president Omar al-Bashir. Documents leaked to The Guardian and MHK Media, a Russian-language news website, by the London-based Dossier Centre, an investigative group funded by exiled Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky, disclosed Russia’s hitherto behind-the-scenes role in Sudan. Laying out plans to bolster Russia’s position across Africa by building relations with rulers, striking military deals, and grooming a new generation of leaders and undercover agents, the documents included details of a campaign to smear anti-government protesters in Sudan. The plan for the campaign appeared to have been copy-pasted from proposals to counter opposition in Russia to president Vladimir Putin with references to Russia mistakenly not having been replaced with Sudan in one document. Russia advised the Sudanese military to use fake news and videos to portray demonstrators as anti-Islamic, pro-Israeli and pro-LGBT. The plan also suggested increasing the price of newsprint to make it harder for critics to get their message out and to discover “foreigners” at anti-government rallies. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a St. Petersburg-based businessman and close associate of Putin, complained in a letter to Bashir before he was overthrown that the president was not following his advice. Prigozhin, who was indicted by US special counsel Robert Mueller for operating a troll factory that ran an extensive social media campaign that favoured of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, was according to the documents a key player in efforts to enhance Russian influence in Africa. Prigozhin accused Bashir and his government of not being active enough and adopting an “extremely cautious position.” If a visit this week to Sudan by foreign journalists at the invitation of the military to show them medical facilities that had allegedly been ransacked by protesters and demonstrate that hospitals that had been attacked by notorious paramilitary forces associated with Sudanese army were returning to normal, is anything to go by, Prigozhin’s criticism may have merit. “It must have seemed like a good idea to somebody, although I cannot imagine why. The plan was to show us how terribly the protesters had behaved. If the world could see what they were really like they would understand that the regime had no choice but to send in the militia. Except from the moment we arrived at the first medical facility things started to go wrong,” said the BBC’s Africa editor, Fergal Keane. To Keane, the omnipresence of paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) made the paramilitary headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo aka Hemedti, believed to be a Saudi and UAE favourite because his troops fought in Yemen and his reputation for ruthlessness, look “more like an army of occupation than an internal security force.” Widely viewed as ambitious and power-hungry, General Dagalo resembles in the eyes of protesters Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the autocratic general-turned-president who in 2013 staged a Saudi-UAE-backed military coup that toppled Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president. Defending the UAE’s contacts with the military council, Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said his country’s “credibility is our means to contribute to enhancing peaceful transition in a way that preserves the state and its institutions.” Human Rights Watch this week called on the United Nations Security Council to halt the withdrawal of peacekeepers from Darfur, noting that the Rapid Support Forces “have a long track record of abuse. They carried out highly abusive counter-insurgency campaigns in Darfur, and the Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile regions over the past five years, in which they attacked villages, killed and raped civilians, and burned and looted homes.” Witnesses outside a medical facility and a hospital that Keane visited countered the military’s tale, describing how troops stormed the buildings and looted and destroyed facilities. “The international community has to intervene. There is no peace here in Sudan. People are suffering a lot… I am frightened for my country," said a man as he drove by Omdurman Hospital. The failed public relations tour, the crackdown, the Russian guidance and stalled talks between protesters and the military fits a Saudi-UAE promoted pattern that has evolved across the Middle East and North Africa since the 2011 popular Arab revolts. It’s a pattern that aims to defeat popular protest at whatever cost. The Sudanese protest movement has emerged from the crackdown that doctors said killed at least 118 people and efforts to delegitimise it battered, divided and potentially weakened but still standing. A general strike declared at the beginning of this week initially paralysed the capital Khartoum but within a day or two appeared to be weakening. Ethiopian mediator Mahmoud Dirir said on Tuesday that the protesters had agreed to end the strike while the governing Transitional Military Council (TMC), headed by officers with close ties to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, was ready to release political prisoners, one of several key demands of the protesters. Dirir said the two sides had also agreed to “soon” resume talks to resolve the crisis even if they were nowhere near narrowing differences of returning Sudan to civilian rule. It was not clear what soon meant. “Negotiation - even if it happens soon - will circle back to the same issue: will the military cede power to a civilian government? Nothing about the generals' actions has indicated that this is an imminent possibility. The fear is that they will use any negotiations to try to divide the opposition while security pressure is maintained on the streets,” Keane said. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Russia joins Gulf states in coaching Sudan military

Sudan`s military and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-opposition-says-to-nominate-members-for-transitional-council-226186">opposition groups</a> have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes.

Sudan`s Transitional Military Council also agreed to release political prisoners as a confidence-building measure, special envoy Mahmoud Dirir told reporters in Khartoum.

The steps appeared to show a softening of positions after talks between the two sides collapsed following the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shops-open-buses-run-on-day-2-of-sudan-civil-campaign-225981">violent dispersal of a protest sit-in</a> on June 3.

The crackdown, in which dozens of people were killed, dealt a big setback to hopes of a transition towards democratic elections following the overthrow of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April.

The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance on Sunday began an open-ended strike that brought much activity in Khartoum to a standstill.

The alliance said in a statement it would suspend the strike from Wednesday until further notice, though it encouraged people to remain mobilised for possible further action.

Watch: Deadly Violence in Sudan

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Opposition leader Khaled Omar struck a cautious note, saying in comments to Al Hadath TV that the suspension of the campaign was "not tied to any specific political developments".

Yasir Arman, one of three officials from the southern SPLM-N rebel movement who were detained and then deported to South Sudan after the breakdown of talks, said the military council did not want to cede power.

"My experience in Khartoum is that the military council wanted to divide the oppositions, to have a deal with them that will keep them in power," Arman told Reuters in Juba a day after saying he had been tied up and flown out of Khartoum on a military helicopter.

In a statement on Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council called on all parties "to continue working together towards a consensual solution to the current crisis."

Meditation mission

After the military ousted and arrested Bashir on April 11, following months of protests, talks became deadlocked over who would control a sovereign council that would oversee a three-year transition towards elections.&nbsp;

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed flew to Sudan to mediate when the talks broke down last week.&nbsp;

Opposition sources said Abiy had proposed a 15-member transitional council comprising eight civilians and seven military officers with a rotating presidency.

A leader of the DFCF opposition alliance said on Monday night that the group had decided to name eight members to the council and nominate Abdullah Hamdouk, a former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as prime minister.

The bloodshed in Sudan has prompted concern from world powers including the United States, which announced on Monday it was sending its senior diplomat for Africa to Khartoum this week to push for a resumption of talks.

The African Union has suspended Sudan`s membership.

Stability in the nation of 40 million is crucial for a volatile region struggling with conflict and insurgencies from the Horn of Africa to Egypt and Libya.

The military council has been bolstered by support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. The UAE`s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday his country was in contact with both sides and was seeking "a smooth organised political transition".&nbsp;

Darfur

The recent crackdown led to at least 118 deaths since June 3, according to a group of doctors linked to the opposition. The government has confirmed 61 deaths.

The crackdown began with a raid on a protest sit-in outside Khartoum`s Defence Ministry on June 3 which witnesses said was led by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).&nbsp;

The RSF, which is led by the council`s deputy head, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, grew out of Arab militias that fought in the western region of Darfur during a civil war that began in 2003.

Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday accused the RSF and allied militia of being responsible for the destruction of dozens of villages, unlawful killings and sexual abuse in Darfur over the past year.&nbsp;

Amnesty said tens of thousands of civilians in Darfur`s Jebel Marra would become more vulnerable if the U.N. Security Council and the AU were to vote on June 27 to close their joint peacekeeping mission there, UNAMID.&nbsp;

An RSF spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

According to the United Nations, the military council demanded UNAMID hand over its premises to the RSF as part of the mission`s planned withdrawal in 2020.

Sudan`s military and opposition groups have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes.

Sudan`s military and opposition groups have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes. Sudan`s Transitional Military Council also agreed to release political prisoners as a confidence-building measure, special envoy Mahmoud Dirir told reporters in Khartoum. The steps appeared to show a softening of positions after talks between the two sides collapsed following the violent dispersal of a protest sit-in on June 3. The crackdown, in which dozens of people were killed, dealt a big setback to hopes of a transition towards democratic elections following the overthrow of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April. The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance on Sunday began an open-ended strike that brought much activity in Khartoum to a standstill. The alliance said in a statement it would suspend the strike from Wednesday until further notice, though it encouraged people to remain mobilised for possible further action. Watch: Deadly Violence in Sudan × Opposition leader Khaled Omar struck a cautious note, saying in comments to Al Hadath TV that the suspension of the campaign was "not tied to any specific political developments". Yasir Arman, one of three officials from the southern SPLM-N rebel movement who were detained and then deported to South Sudan after the breakdown of talks, said the military council did not want to cede power. "My experience in Khartoum is that the military council wanted to divide the oppositions, to have a deal with them that will keep them in power," Arman told Reuters in Juba a day after saying he had been tied up and flown out of Khartoum on a military helicopter. In a statement on Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council called on all parties "to continue working together towards a consensual solution to the current crisis." Meditation mission After the military ousted and arrested Bashir on April 11, following months of protests, talks became deadlocked over who would control a sovereign council that would oversee a three-year transition towards elections. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed flew to Sudan to mediate when the talks broke down last week. Opposition sources said Abiy had proposed a 15-member transitional council comprising eight civilians and seven military officers with a rotating presidency. A leader of the DFCF opposition alliance said on Monday night that the group had decided to name eight members to the council and nominate Abdullah Hamdouk, a former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as prime minister. The bloodshed in Sudan has prompted concern from world powers including the United States, which announced on Monday it was sending its senior diplomat for Africa to Khartoum this week to push for a resumption of talks. The African Union has suspended Sudan`s membership. Stability in the nation of 40 million is crucial for a volatile region struggling with conflict and insurgencies from the Horn of Africa to Egypt and Libya. The military council has been bolstered by support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. The UAE`s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday his country was in contact with both sides and was seeking "a smooth organised political transition". Darfur The recent crackdown led to at least 118 deaths since June 3, according to a group of doctors linked to the opposition. The government has confirmed 61 deaths. The crackdown began with a raid on a protest sit-in outside Khartoum`s Defence Ministry on June 3 which witnesses said was led by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF, which is led by the council`s deputy head, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, grew out of Arab militias that fought in the western region of Darfur during a civil war that began in 2003. Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday accused the RSF and allied militia of being responsible for the destruction of dozens of villages, unlawful killings and sexual abuse in Darfur over the past year. Amnesty said tens of thousands of civilians in Darfur`s Jebel Marra would become more vulnerable if the U.N. Security Council and the AU were to vote on June 27 to close their joint peacekeeping mission there, UNAMID. An RSF spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. According to the United Nations, the military council demanded UNAMID hand over its premises to the RSF as part of the mission`s planned withdrawal in 2020.

Envoy says Sudan talks to resume as strike suspended

&nbsp;A coalition of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-protesters-want-civilian-as-head-of-new-ruling-body-219880">Sudanese protest</a> and opposition groups on Friday called for two days of strikes in private and public enterprises next week as part of the pressure on military rulers to hand over power to civilians.

The announcement, issued in a statement posted on social media, comes after talks between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and an alliance of protest groups on the composition of a sovereign body to lead the country during a three-year transition to democracy.

Talks were adjourned in the early hours of Tuesday, with no date set for resumption, but sources said contacts were continuing at a low level trying to reach a compromise.

Last month, Sudan's military overthrew President Omar al-Bashir following months of protests against his three decades in power. The military has promised to hand over power to an elected government after a transitional period.

Sudan, one of Africa's largest countries, is important for efforts to bring stability to an important area stretching from the Horn of Africa to Libya.

In a statement distributed on social media, the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) called for a strike starting at private and public enterprises that will include various professional sectors starting on Tuesday.

"The strike will continue for two days, and involved gathering at the protest squares in the national and state capitals," the statement said.

The transitional military council has called for establishing a civilian government of technocrats. It has also said it was ready to share power with civilians in a transitional sovereign body but has been demanding overall control of the body.

A representative of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in the DFCF said both sides were looking at proposals to break the impasse, including a rotating presidency, and for decisions to be made by a two-thirds majority rather than a simple majority, adding that a deal could be reached before next Tuesday.

In remarks published on Wednesday, the deputy head of the transitional council told an Egyptian newspaper that the military wanted to hand power to a democratically elected government as soon as possible.

But Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is widely known as Hemedti and leads the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), said the military was impatient for a solution.

A coalition of Sudanese protest and opposition groups on Friday called for two days of strikes in private and public enterprises next week as part of the pressure on military rulers to hand over power to civilians.

A coalition of Sudanese protest and opposition groups on Friday called for two days of strikes in private and public enterprises next week as part of the pressure on military rulers to hand over power to civilians. The announcement, issued in a statement posted on social media, comes after talks between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and an alliance of protest groups on the composition of a sovereign body to lead the country during a three-year transition to democracy. Talks were adjourned in the early hours of Tuesday, with no date set for resumption, but sources said contacts were continuing at a low level trying to reach a compromise. Last month, Sudan's military overthrew President Omar al-Bashir following months of protests against his three decades in power. The military has promised to hand over power to an elected government after a transitional period. Sudan, one of Africa's largest countries, is important for efforts to bring stability to an important area stretching from the Horn of Africa to Libya. In a statement distributed on social media, the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) called for a strike starting at private and public enterprises that will include various professional sectors starting on Tuesday. "The strike will continue for two days, and involved gathering at the protest squares in the national and state capitals," the statement said. The transitional military council has called for establishing a civilian government of technocrats. It has also said it was ready to share power with civilians in a transitional sovereign body but has been demanding overall control of the body. A representative of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in the DFCF said both sides were looking at proposals to break the impasse, including a rotating presidency, and for decisions to be made by a two-thirds majority rather than a simple majority, adding that a deal could be reached before next Tuesday. In remarks published on Wednesday, the deputy head of the transitional council told an Egyptian newspaper that the military wanted to hand power to a democratically elected government as soon as possible. But Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is widely known as Hemedti and leads the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), said the military was impatient for a solution.

Sudan protest groups calls for strike starting next Tuesday

Sudan's army rulers announced talks will resume with protest leaders Sunday, four days after the generals suspended negotiations on implementing the civilian rule in the country.

"The Transitional Military Council announces the resumption of negotiations with the Alliance for Freedom and Change on Sunday at the presidential palace," the ruling army council said in a Saturday statement.

World powers have urged the generals to resume meetings on Sudan's future leadership, following the ouster last month of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir after mass protest.

Representatives from the United Nations, African Union and European powers "called for an immediate resumption of talks", said Tibor Nagy, the US assistant secretary of state for Africa.

They called on both sides to "reach an agreement ASAP on an interim government that is truly civilian-led and reflects the will of the Sudanese people," Nagy tweeted Friday.

The generals and protest leaders had been expected to come to an agreement on Wednesday on the thorniest issue -- the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for three years.

But that meeting never took place and on Thursday the head of the military council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, confirmed talks were suspended for 72 hours.&nbsp;

Demonstrators subsequently spent hours meeting Burhan's demand to dismantle roadblocks which had paralysed parts of the capital.

The generals have allowed protesters to hold onto their sit-in outside Khartoum's army headquarters, where they remain camped out to demand a rapid transition to democracy.

Sudan's army rulers announced talks will resume with protest leaders Sunday, four days after the generals suspended negotiations on implementing the civilian rule in the country.

Sudan's army rulers announced talks will resume with protest leaders Sunday, four days after the generals suspended negotiations on implementing the civilian rule in the country. "The Transitional Military Council announces the resumption of negotiations with the Alliance for Freedom and Change on Sunday at the presidential palace," the ruling army council said in a Saturday statement. World powers have urged the generals to resume meetings on Sudan's future leadership, following the ouster last month of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir after mass protest. Representatives from the United Nations, African Union and European powers "called for an immediate resumption of talks", said Tibor Nagy, the US assistant secretary of state for Africa. They called on both sides to "reach an agreement ASAP on an interim government that is truly civilian-led and reflects the will of the Sudanese people," Nagy tweeted Friday. The generals and protest leaders had been expected to come to an agreement on Wednesday on the thorniest issue -- the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for three years. But that meeting never took place and on Thursday the head of the military council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, confirmed talks were suspended for 72 hours. Demonstrators subsequently spent hours meeting Burhan's demand to dismantle roadblocks which had paralysed parts of the capital. The generals have allowed protesters to hold onto their sit-in outside Khartoum's army headquarters, where they remain camped out to demand a rapid transition to democracy.

Sudan army rulers say talks with protesters to resume Sunday

Five Sudanese protesters and an army major were shot dead Monday in the capital, hours after protest leaders and the ruling generals reached a breakthrough agreement on transitional authorities to run the country.

The latest developments came as the prosecutor general's office said ousted president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudans-ousted-president-bashir-charged-over-killing-of-protesters-218466">Omar al-Bashir had been charged over the killings</a> of protesters during anti-regime demonstrations that led to the end of his rule last month.

The major and a protester were killed at a sit-in outside the army headquarters in Khartoum where thousands of protesters remain camped for weeks, demanding that the army generals who took power after ousting Bashir step down.

Three soldiers and several protesters and civilians were also wounded when "unidentified elements" fired shots at the Khartoum sit-in, the ruling military council said.

A doctors' committee linked to the protest movement later said four more protesters had been shot dead, but did not specify if they were actually killed at the sit-in.

The military council said in a late night press conference that it had "noticed some armed infiltrators among the protesters".

The umbrella protest movement the Alliance for Freedom and Change said Monday's violence was to "disturb the breakthrough in the negotiations" with army generals as it blamed the bloodshed on the former regime's militias.

Earlier on Monday, the generals and the protest movement said a breakthrough had been reached in their talks over handing of power to a civilian administration.

"At today's meeting we agreed on the structure of the authorities and their powers," Taha Osman, a spokesman for the protest movement, told AFP.

"The authorities are as follows -- the sovereign council, the cabinet and the legislative body," he said.

Osman said another meeting would be held on Tuesday "to discuss the period of transition and the composition of the authorities".

Talks to continue Tuesday

The military council confirmed an accord had been reached.

"We agreed on forming the transitional authority on all three levels -- the sovereign, the executive and the legislative," council spokesman Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi told reporters.

"Tomorrow we will continue to discuss the percentage of participation... and the transitional period."

The generals insist the transitional period should be two years, while protesters want it to be four years.

The crucial talks between the two sides follow a deadlock in negotiations.

The apparent breakthrough came as Sudan's acting prosecutor general Al-Waleed Sayyed Ahmed said Bashir "and others have been charged for inciting and participating in the killing of demonstrators".

The charges form part of an investigation into the death of a medic killed during a protest in the capital's eastern district of Burri, his office said in a statement.

Ninety people were killed in protest-related violence after demonstrations initially erupted in December, the doctors' committee said last month.

The official death toll is 65.

Mass protests which drove Bashir from office on April 11 are still being held outside the army headquarters, vowing to force the military council to cede power.

Prior to Monday's talks, dozens of protesters blocked Nile Street, a major avenue in the city, for the second consecutive day, an AFP correspondent reported.

Pressing their demand for a handover to civilian rule, protesters also blocked a road leading to the capital's northern district of Bahari.

Three protesters were wounded by "live ammunition" when security personnel tried to dismantle blockades put by demonstrators in parts of the capital, the doctors' committee said.

"We reject using force against the civilians ... we are calling on the military council to take its responsibility in protecting the peaceful protesters," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said.

'Optimistic atmosphere'

Following a deadlock in negotiations, the protest alliance on Saturday said the army generals had invited the movement for a new round of talks.

The generals in earlier talks had proposed the new council be led by the military, while the protest leaders want a majority civilian body.

Late last month, the alliance -- which brings together protest organisers, opposition parties and rebel groups -- handed the generals its proposals for a civilian-led transitional government.

But the generals pointed to what they call "many reservations" over the alliance's roadmap.

They have singled out its silence on the constitutional position of Islamic sharia law, which was the guiding principle of all legislation under Bashir's rule.

Demonstrators converged on the military complex last month seeking the army's help in ousting Bashir.

Days later the army ousted the veteran leader, but a 10-member military council took power and demonstrators have kept up their sit-in against the generals.

Although crowds have dwindled during the day due to the scorching heat, protesters gather in their thousands after breaking the daytime fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Five Sudanese protesters and an army major were shot dead Monday in the capital, hours after protest leaders and the ruling generals reached a breakthrough agreement on transitional authorities to run the country.

Five Sudanese protesters and an army major were shot dead Monday in the capital, hours after protest leaders and the ruling generals reached a breakthrough agreement on transitional authorities to run the country. The latest developments came as the prosecutor general's office said ousted president Omar al-Bashir had been charged over the killings of protesters during anti-regime demonstrations that led to the end of his rule last month. The major and a protester were killed at a sit-in outside the army headquarters in Khartoum where thousands of protesters remain camped for weeks, demanding that the army generals who took power after ousting Bashir step down. Three soldiers and several protesters and civilians were also wounded when "unidentified elements" fired shots at the Khartoum sit-in, the ruling military council said. A doctors' committee linked to the protest movement later said four more protesters had been shot dead, but did not specify if they were actually killed at the sit-in. The military council said in a late night press conference that it had "noticed some armed infiltrators among the protesters". The umbrella protest movement the Alliance for Freedom and Change said Monday's violence was to "disturb the breakthrough in the negotiations" with army generals as it blamed the bloodshed on the former regime's militias. Earlier on Monday, the generals and the protest movement said a breakthrough had been reached in their talks over handing of power to a civilian administration. "At today's meeting we agreed on the structure of the authorities and their powers," Taha Osman, a spokesman for the protest movement, told AFP. "The authorities are as follows -- the sovereign council, the cabinet and the legislative body," he said. Osman said another meeting would be held on Tuesday "to discuss the period of transition and the composition of the authorities". Talks to continue Tuesday The military council confirmed an accord had been reached. "We agreed on forming the transitional authority on all three levels -- the sovereign, the executive and the legislative," council spokesman Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi told reporters. "Tomorrow we will continue to discuss the percentage of participation... and the transitional period." The generals insist the transitional period should be two years, while protesters want it to be four years. The crucial talks between the two sides follow a deadlock in negotiations. The apparent breakthrough came as Sudan's acting prosecutor general Al-Waleed Sayyed Ahmed said Bashir "and others have been charged for inciting and participating in the killing of demonstrators". The charges form part of an investigation into the death of a medic killed during a protest in the capital's eastern district of Burri, his office said in a statement. Ninety people were killed in protest-related violence after demonstrations initially erupted in December, the doctors' committee said last month. The official death toll is 65. Mass protests which drove Bashir from office on April 11 are still being held outside the army headquarters, vowing to force the military council to cede power. Prior to Monday's talks, dozens of protesters blocked Nile Street, a major avenue in the city, for the second consecutive day, an AFP correspondent reported. Pressing their demand for a handover to civilian rule, protesters also blocked a road leading to the capital's northern district of Bahari. Three protesters were wounded by "live ammunition" when security personnel tried to dismantle blockades put by demonstrators in parts of the capital, the doctors' committee said. "We reject using force against the civilians ... we are calling on the military council to take its responsibility in protecting the peaceful protesters," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said. 'Optimistic atmosphere' Following a deadlock in negotiations, the protest alliance on Saturday said the army generals had invited the movement for a new round of talks. The generals in earlier talks had proposed the new council be led by the military, while the protest leaders want a majority civilian body. Late last month, the alliance -- which brings together protest organisers, opposition parties and rebel groups -- handed the generals its proposals for a civilian-led transitional government. But the generals pointed to what they call "many reservations" over the alliance's roadmap. They have singled out its silence on the constitutional position of Islamic sharia law, which was the guiding principle of all legislation under Bashir's rule. Demonstrators converged on the military complex last month seeking the army's help in ousting Bashir. Days later the army ousted the veteran leader, but a 10-member military council took power and demonstrators have kept up their sit-in against the generals. Although crowds have dwindled during the day due to the scorching heat, protesters gather in their thousands after breaking the daytime fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Six shot dead as Sudan sees breakthrough in civil rule talks

Sudanese protest and opposition leaders on Wednesday called for a campaign of civil disobedience in response to what one of them described as the military`s "disappointing" answer to their proposals for an interim government.

This could put the protesters and the ruling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-military-rulers-want-sharia-law-to-guide-legislation-under-interim-government-216871">Transitional Military Council (TMC)</a> on a collision course following weeks of wrangling over how to manage an interim period after the ousting of long-ruling President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-sudans-economic-crisis-had-a-role-in-protests-that-toppled-al-bashir-216685/amp">Omar al-Bashir </a>from office.

"We call for and prepare for civil disobedience," Madani Abbas Madani, a leader of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), told a news conference in Khartoum.

The DFCF, the opposition groups` umbrella body, did not give details of what it planned. But the DFCF has led work strikes, marches, protest sit-ins and other acts of civil disobedience for weeks. Protesters have also blocked bridges, roads and rail tracks, disrupting Sudan`s transport infrastructure.

Khalid Omar Yousef, another protest leader, said the aim was not to start a confrontation with the military but to speed up efforts to resolve the impasse.

Thousands of protesters have camped for weeks outside the Defence Ministry in central Khartoum and, having secured a military overthrow of Bashir, are now demanding that the TMC hand over power to civilians.

The constitutional draft prepared by the DFCF describes the duties of a sovereign transitional council that would replace the TMC, but does not specify who would sit on it. The plan, seen by Reuters, also outlines the responsibilities of the Cabinet and a 120-member legislature.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan spoke with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chairman of the TMC, on Wednesday and urged it to reach agreement with the DFCF that reflects the will of the Sudanese people and to move "expeditiously" toward a civilian-led interim government.

In a statement, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Sullivan also "encouraged the TMC to allow peaceful protest and the freedom of expression consistent with Sudan’s human rights obligations."&nbsp;

A senior Kenyan diplomat praised the "responsible" and "patient" behaviour of the opposition protesters.

"Us as a neighbour ... send our solidarity message into Sudan to express our support for the people and to urge an inclusive process," Monica Juma, Kenya`s chief Cabinet secretary for foreign affairs, told reporters in Washington after launching a strategic dialogue with the United States.

"We called on all parties to act with restraint ... because it is important that this process evolves in a peaceful manner," she said.

`IDEOLOGICAL WEAPONS`

On Tuesday, the TMC welcomed the proposals but said they neglected some important issues such as a reference to Islamic sharia as a source for legislation.

The protesters accused the TMC of dragging its feet, saying issues like sharia were not a matter for the interim constitution.

"Issues like sharia and the language of the state, those are ideological weapons the former regime (kept) using to divide the people for the issue of mobilisation," DFCF member Yousef said.

"Muslims against non-Muslims, Arabs against non-Arabs. It`s a very dangerous thing and we are not willing to go for this game."

Sudan`s population of around 40 million is about 97 per cent Muslim, with most of the rest Christians. The country is a mix of ethnic groups, including Arabs, Nubians and other African ethnic minorities.

Opposition leaders said at the news conference on Wednesday that the TMC response would effectively give the military control of a proposed interim government.

A TMC member, Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta, said the council was prepared to sit down with the protesters to discuss the differences.

The TMC has said it is willing to agree to a government of technocrats, but that it wants to retain overall control pending elections to prevent Sudan sliding into chaos.

Seeking to show it is heeding protesters` demands, the council has fired senior Bashir aides, placed paramilitary security bodies under state control and ordered the dissolution of a security agency that was linked to the former president`s ruling Islamist party.&nbsp;

Bashir, in power for 30 years, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Sudan`s western Darfur region. He is in prison and under investigation for money laundering.

Sudanese protest and opposition leaders on Wednesday called for a campaign of civil disobedience in response to what one of them described as the military`s "disappointing" answer to their proposals for an interim government.

Sudanese protest and opposition leaders on Wednesday called for a campaign of civil disobedience in response to what one of them described as the military`s "disappointing" answer to their proposals for an interim government. This could put the protesters and the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) on a collision course following weeks of wrangling over how to manage an interim period after the ousting of long-ruling President Omar al-Bashir from office. "We call for and prepare for civil disobedience," Madani Abbas Madani, a leader of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), told a news conference in Khartoum. The DFCF, the opposition groups` umbrella body, did not give details of what it planned. But the DFCF has led work strikes, marches, protest sit-ins and other acts of civil disobedience for weeks. Protesters have also blocked bridges, roads and rail tracks, disrupting Sudan`s transport infrastructure. Khalid Omar Yousef, another protest leader, said the aim was not to start a confrontation with the military but to speed up efforts to resolve the impasse. Thousands of protesters have camped for weeks outside the Defence Ministry in central Khartoum and, having secured a military overthrow of Bashir, are now demanding that the TMC hand over power to civilians. The constitutional draft prepared by the DFCF describes the duties of a sovereign transitional council that would replace the TMC, but does not specify who would sit on it. The plan, seen by Reuters, also outlines the responsibilities of the Cabinet and a 120-member legislature. US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan spoke with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chairman of the TMC, on Wednesday and urged it to reach agreement with the DFCF that reflects the will of the Sudanese people and to move "expeditiously" toward a civilian-led interim government. In a statement, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Sullivan also "encouraged the TMC to allow peaceful protest and the freedom of expression consistent with Sudan’s human rights obligations." A senior Kenyan diplomat praised the "responsible" and "patient" behaviour of the opposition protesters. "Us as a neighbour ... send our solidarity message into Sudan to express our support for the people and to urge an inclusive process," Monica Juma, Kenya`s chief Cabinet secretary for foreign affairs, told reporters in Washington after launching a strategic dialogue with the United States. "We called on all parties to act with restraint ... because it is important that this process evolves in a peaceful manner," she said. `IDEOLOGICAL WEAPONS` On Tuesday, the TMC welcomed the proposals but said they neglected some important issues such as a reference to Islamic sharia as a source for legislation. The protesters accused the TMC of dragging its feet, saying issues like sharia were not a matter for the interim constitution. "Issues like sharia and the language of the state, those are ideological weapons the former regime (kept) using to divide the people for the issue of mobilisation," DFCF member Yousef said. "Muslims against non-Muslims, Arabs against non-Arabs. It`s a very dangerous thing and we are not willing to go for this game." Sudan`s population of around 40 million is about 97 per cent Muslim, with most of the rest Christians. The country is a mix of ethnic groups, including Arabs, Nubians and other African ethnic minorities. Opposition leaders said at the news conference on Wednesday that the TMC response would effectively give the military control of a proposed interim government. A TMC member, Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta, said the council was prepared to sit down with the protesters to discuss the differences. The TMC has said it is willing to agree to a government of technocrats, but that it wants to retain overall control pending elections to prevent Sudan sliding into chaos. Seeking to show it is heeding protesters` demands, the council has fired senior Bashir aides, placed paramilitary security bodies under state control and ordered the dissolution of a security agency that was linked to the former president`s ruling Islamist party. Bashir, in power for 30 years, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Sudan`s western Darfur region. He is in prison and under investigation for money laundering.

Sudan's protest coalition calls for civil disobedience campaign

Sudanese student Alaa Salah emerged as a singing symbol of the protest movement that toppled leader Omar al-Bashir, and now insists she will keep demonstrating until a civilian rule is secured.&nbsp;

The 22-year-old engineering and architecture undergraduate shot to prominence when a picture of her in a white robe leading chanting crowds from atop a car in Khartoum went viral on social media.

Shortly after on April 11 the army ousted long-time leader Bashir, but since then a 10-member military council has resisted calls to hand over power.&nbsp;

Every evening Salah heads down to join the crowds still camped out around the army headquarters in the capital -- leading thousands of demonstrators in singing out their calls for change.

"We are staying at the protest site until all our demands are met," Salah said in an interview with AFP.

"We want a democratic civilian government and that all corrupt figures of the previous regime be prosecuted."

Like many gathered outside the military complex, she insists "we don't want just words, we want actions".

"Bashir was just the face of the regime, we want the entire regime to be uprooted."

'No political aspirations'

Portraits of Salah -- dubbed "Kandaka" or Nubian queen online -- have appeared on murals across Khartoum in the wake of Bashir's fall.&nbsp;

The iconic image captured her wearing the traditional flowing white headscarf and skirt, her golden full-moon earrings reflecting in the fading sunset.&nbsp;

The outfit is a nod to the lead role played by women in the protests that ended three decades of iron-fisted rule by the veteran leader.&nbsp;

"I wore this attire as part of an initiative to support the revolution," she says.

Symbolic too is the chant that she recites to raise the spirits of the demonstrators. &nbsp;

The words are those of a well-known Sudanese poem that says "a bullet does not kill, what kills is the people's silence" -- a sentiment she says aptly captures Sudan's new spirit of defiance. &nbsp;

The protest movement in the country initially erupted in December in response to tripling of bread prices by the authorities.

It swiftly mushroomed into nationwide demonstrations against Bashir led by an umbrella group of unions and opposition political groups called the Alliance for Freedom and Change.

Protest leaders from the alliance successfully mobilised supporters -- young, old, women, men, professionals and students -- by posting their calls for demonstrations online.

"I'm one of those who took to the streets based on the schedules announced by the Alliance for Freedom and Change," Salah said.

She also participated in protests on her campus as the demonstrations on the street drew a brutal crackdown from the authorities. &nbsp;

Officials say at least 65 people have been killed in protest-related violence since December.

Despite her new-found fame as the face of the uprising, Salah insists that she intends to limit her involvement in politics to these protests.&nbsp;

"I have no political affiliation. I am a normal citizen who took to the streets for the sake of our country," she said.

"I don't have any aspirations in politics ...but I like to do social work."

Sudanese student Alaa Salah emerged as a singing symbol of the protest movement that toppled leader Omar al-Bashir, and now insists she will keep demonstrating until a civilian rule is secured.

Sudanese student Alaa Salah emerged as a singing symbol of the protest movement that toppled leader Omar al-Bashir, and now insists she will keep demonstrating until a civilian rule is secured. The 22-year-old engineering and architecture undergraduate shot to prominence when a picture of her in a white robe leading chanting crowds from atop a car in Khartoum went viral on social media. Shortly after on April 11 the army ousted long-time leader Bashir, but since then a 10-member military council has resisted calls to hand over power. Every evening Salah heads down to join the crowds still camped out around the army headquarters in the capital -- leading thousands of demonstrators in singing out their calls for change. "We are staying at the protest site until all our demands are met," Salah said in an interview with AFP. "We want a democratic civilian government and that all corrupt figures of the previous regime be prosecuted." Like many gathered outside the military complex, she insists "we don't want just words, we want actions". "Bashir was just the face of the regime, we want the entire regime to be uprooted." 'No political aspirations' Portraits of Salah -- dubbed "Kandaka" or Nubian queen online -- have appeared on murals across Khartoum in the wake of Bashir's fall. The iconic image captured her wearing the traditional flowing white headscarf and skirt, her golden full-moon earrings reflecting in the fading sunset. The outfit is a nod to the lead role played by women in the protests that ended three decades of iron-fisted rule by the veteran leader. "I wore this attire as part of an initiative to support the revolution," she says. Symbolic too is the chant that she recites to raise the spirits of the demonstrators. The words are those of a well-known Sudanese poem that says "a bullet does not kill, what kills is the people's silence" -- a sentiment she says aptly captures Sudan's new spirit of defiance. The protest movement in the country initially erupted in December in response to tripling of bread prices by the authorities. It swiftly mushroomed into nationwide demonstrations against Bashir led by an umbrella group of unions and opposition political groups called the Alliance for Freedom and Change. Protest leaders from the alliance successfully mobilised supporters -- young, old, women, men, professionals and students -- by posting their calls for demonstrations online. "I'm one of those who took to the streets based on the schedules announced by the Alliance for Freedom and Change," Salah said. She also participated in protests on her campus as the demonstrations on the street drew a brutal crackdown from the authorities. Officials say at least 65 people have been killed in protest-related violence since December. Despite her new-found fame as the face of the uprising, Salah insists that she intends to limit her involvement in politics to these protests. "I have no political affiliation. I am a normal citizen who took to the streets for the sake of our country," she said. "I don't have any aspirations in politics ...but I like to do social work."

Symbol of Sudan protest movement pushes for further change

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, April 24th 2019

Protest leaders are to hold talks Saturday with Sudan's military rulers who have so far resisted calls to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protesters-converge-on-sudan-defence-ministry-to-demand-civilian-rule-211676">transfer power to a civilian administration</a>, two leading figures in the protests told AFP.

"The military council will hold talks with the Alliance for Freedom and Change at 8:00 pm today," said Siddiq Yousef, a senior member of the umbrella group leading the protest movement.

The scheduled talks come a day ahead of plans by protest leaders to announce on Sunday a ruling civilian council that they say will replace the military body.

Another member of the Sudanese Professionals Association that launched the initial campaign against deposed president Omar al-Bashir in December also confirmed that talks will be held later on Saturday.

"Five representatives from the alliance will go today to the military council to discuss with them the transfer of power to a civilian rule," Ahmed al-Rabia told AFP.

He said if the military rulers refuse to hand over power then the protest leaders will continue with their plans of announcing a "sovereign civilian council" on Sunday.

"If they are willing to negotiate then there is a chance that tomorrow's announcement could be postponed," Rabia said.

"What we want from them is a timetable to hand over power, so things don't drag."

He said that since the ouster of Bashir the military council has held two rounds of talks with the protest leaders.

"During these talks we have felt that the military council has no desire to hand over power," Rabia said.

Protest leaders are to hold talks Saturday with Sudan's military rulers who have so far resisted calls to transfer power to a civilian administration, two leading figures in the protests told AFP.

Protest leaders are to hold talks Saturday with Sudan's military rulers who have so far resisted calls to transfer power to a civilian administration, two leading figures in the protests told AFP. "The military council will hold talks with the Alliance for Freedom and Change at 8:00 pm today," said Siddiq Yousef, a senior member of the umbrella group leading the protest movement. The scheduled talks come a day ahead of plans by protest leaders to announce on Sunday a ruling civilian council that they say will replace the military body. Another member of the Sudanese Professionals Association that launched the initial campaign against deposed president Omar al-Bashir in December also confirmed that talks will be held later on Saturday. "Five representatives from the alliance will go today to the military council to discuss with them the transfer of power to a civilian rule," Ahmed al-Rabia told AFP. He said if the military rulers refuse to hand over power then the protest leaders will continue with their plans of announcing a "sovereign civilian council" on Sunday. "If they are willing to negotiate then there is a chance that tomorrow's announcement could be postponed," Rabia said. "What we want from them is a timetable to hand over power, so things don't drag." He said that since the ouster of Bashir the military council has held two rounds of talks with the protest leaders. "During these talks we have felt that the military council has no desire to hand over power," Rabia said.

Sudan protest leaders to meet military rulers: Source

Hundreds of thousands converge on defence ministry demanding military hand over power. Watch full video to know more.

Protest in Sudan demanding handover of power to civilians

People protest in Sudan as they demand that civilians run the country rather than the military. Watch full video to know more.

Protesters in Sudan demand civilian rule

Crowds of protesters arrived at a sit-in outside the Defence Ministry in Khartoum chanting and waving flags on Monday (April 15), in a move to reinforce the demonstration after the military attempted to break it up earlier in the day.

Sudan crisis: Protesters demand immediate civilian government rule

President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan in autocratic style for 30 years, was on Thursday (April 11) overthrown and arrested in a coup by the armed forces. Watch video to know more.

Sudan military overthrown Bashir's regime, 30-year rule ends

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, April 12th 2019

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, April 11th 2019

Thousands of anti-government protesters camped outside the Defence Ministry headquarters in Khartoum on Wednesday (April 10) danced, sang and chanted slogans calling on President Omar al-Bashir to step down as security forces were deployed nearby.

Sudan sit-in protests enters fifth day outside military headquarters

Seven people on Monday died in Sudan while troops were attempting to disperse protesters staging a sit-in in the capital Khartoum, the interior minister said.

"While the demonstrations were being dispersed seven citizens died, six of them in Khartoum state and one in central Darfur," Bushara Juma told parliament, adding that about 10,000 protesters had rallied in front of the military headquarters in the capital on Saturday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudanese-troop-killed-in-clash-with-govt-security-during-khartoum-protests-208813">A soldier was also died allegedly</a> following a shootout with pro-government security forces, reported by news agency EFE.

More than 50,000 people participated in the demonstration, demanding that they would not leave the area until President Omar al-Bashir resigned and a transitional government was formed to "move the country onto the next stage."

Protests stirred in Sudan on December 19, 2018, and have occurred almost daily since then.

At least 50 people have been killed since the action began, the movement was met with repression by security forces.&nbsp;

More than 1,000 are thought to have been arrested, among them opposition figures and activists.

(With inputs from agencies)

Seven people on Monday died in Sudan while troops were attempting to disperse protesters staging a sit-in in the capital Khartoum, the interior minister said. "While the demonstrations were being dispersed seven citizens died, six of them in Khartoum state and one in central Darfur," Bushara Juma told parliament, adding that about 10,000 protesters had rallied in front of the military headquarters in the capital on Saturday.

Seven people on Monday died in Sudan while troops were attempting to disperse protesters staging a sit-in in the capital Khartoum, the interior minister said. "While the demonstrations were being dispersed seven citizens died, six of them in Khartoum state and one in central Darfur," Bushara Juma told parliament, adding that about 10,000 protesters had rallied in front of the military headquarters in the capital on Saturday. A soldier was also died allegedly following a shootout with pro-government security forces, reported by news agency EFE. More than 50,000 people participated in the demonstration, demanding that they would not leave the area until President Omar al-Bashir resigned and a transitional government was formed to "move the country onto the next stage." Protests stirred in Sudan on December 19, 2018, and have occurred almost daily since then. At least 50 people have been killed since the action began, the movement was met with repression by security forces. More than 1,000 are thought to have been arrested, among them opposition figures and activists. (With inputs from agencies)

Seven killed during protests in Sudan: Interior Minister

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/iaf-asserts-it-has-irrefutable-evidence-of-shooting-down-pakistan-f-16-shows-radar-images-208809">IAF asserts it has 'irrefutable evidence' of shooting down Pakistan F-16, shows radar images</a>

The Indian Air Force on Monday said it has "irrefutable evidence" of shooting down an F-16 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force during the February 27 aerial combat.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudanese-troop-killed-in-clash-with-govt-security-during-khartoum-protests-208813">Sudanese troop killed in </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudanese-troop-killed-in-clash-with-govt-security-during-khartoum-protests-208813">clash</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudanese-troop-killed-in-clash-with-govt-security-during-khartoum-protests-208813"> with government security during Khartoum protests</a>

A Sudanese soldier on Monday died allegedly following a shootout with pro-government security forces, which were attempting to disperse protesters staging a sit-in in the capital Khartoum.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uk-high-court-rejects-vijay-mallyas-appeal-against-the-extradition-order-208774">UK High Court rejects Vijay Mallya's appeal against the extradition order</a>

In a big blow to Vijay Mallya, London’s High Court has rejected fugitive liquor baron's application for permission to appeal against the extradition order against him.&nbsp;

Mallya, 63, had filed the application in the High Court after UK's home secretary Sajid Javid signed off on a Westminster Magistrates' Court order for his extradition to face the Indian courts back in February.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/vice-admiral-bimal-verma-moves-armed-forces-tribunal-after-being-superseded-for-naval-chief-post-208768">Vice Admiral Bimal Verma moves Armed Forces Tribunal after being superseded for Naval Chief post</a>

Vice Admiral Bimal Verma on Monday moved the Armed Forces Tribunal against his supersession and appointment of Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next Chief of Indian Navy.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-needs-tax-cuts-in-response-to-yellow-vests-pm-208807">France needs tax cuts in response to 'yellow vests': PM Edouard Philippe</a>

The French government must implement bold tax cuts, the prime minister said Monday, after a mass public consultation called in the wake of "yellow vest" protests that shook President Emmanuel Macron.

IAF asserts it has 'irrefutable evidence' of shooting down Pakistan F-16, shows radar images The Indian Air Force on Monday said it has "irrefutable evidence" of shooting down an F-16 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force during the February 27 aerial combat.

IAF asserts it has 'irrefutable evidence' of shooting down Pakistan F-16, shows radar images The Indian Air Force on Monday said it has "irrefutable evidence" of shooting down an F-16 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force during the February 27 aerial combat. Sudanese troop killed in clash with government security during Khartoum protests A Sudanese soldier on Monday died allegedly following a shootout with pro-government security forces, which were attempting to disperse protesters staging a sit-in in the capital Khartoum. UK High Court rejects Vijay Mallya's appeal against the extradition order In a big blow to Vijay Mallya, London’s High Court has rejected fugitive liquor baron's application for permission to appeal against the extradition order against him. Mallya, 63, had filed the application in the High Court after UK's home secretary Sajid Javid signed off on a Westminster Magistrates' Court order for his extradition to face the Indian courts back in February. Vice Admiral Bimal Verma moves Armed Forces Tribunal after being superseded for Naval Chief post Vice Admiral Bimal Verma on Monday moved the Armed Forces Tribunal against his supersession and appointment of Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next Chief of Indian Navy. France needs tax cuts in response to 'yellow vests': PM Edouard Philippe The French government must implement bold tax cuts, the prime minister said Monday, after a mass public consultation called in the wake of "yellow vest" protests that shook President Emmanuel Macron.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Sudanese protest leaders on Saturday dismissed veteran <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-president-bashir-declares-year-long-state-of-emergency-across-the-country-199057">President Omar al-Bashir's declaration of a state of emergency </a>and vowed to keep up nationwide demonstrations until his "regime is overthrown."

Bashir's three-decade rule has been rocked by two months of protests that a deadly crackdown has failed to suppress and on Friday he imposed a nationwide state of emergency and dissolved the federal and provincial governments.

In a televised speech to the nation, the veteran leader pledged to form a government of technocrats to address the country's chronic economic woes, which have been the driving force behind the protests.

But protest organisers and their supporters in the political opposition said the state of emergency showed that Bashir's government was weakened and only its overthrow would now satisfy the protesters.

"Imposing a state of emergency shows the fear within the regime," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said&nbsp;

"We will continue with our people to take to the streets across all towns and villages until our demand has been achieved."&nbsp;

The National Umma Party, whose leader Sadiq al-Mahdi was Sudan's elected prime minister when Bashir seized power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, said the protests against his successor's iron-fisted rule would continue until he quit.

"Dissolving the government and imposing a state of emergency is nothing but a repetition of this regime's failures," it said.

"Nothing will satisfy the people who are taking to the streets except the overthrow of this regime."

Recovery now 'less likely'

Analysts said the state of emergency was an act of desperation that would make it even harder to turn round the economy and ease public anger.

"The declaration of emergency powers only makes it less likely that the economy can be revived," said Eric Reeves, a senior fellow at Harvard University, who has tracked Sudan's politics and economy for two decades.

"The regime has never understood economics...that’s why there are in the mess they are."

Sudan has been hit by a chronic shortage of hard currency to pay for imports that have worsened since South Sudan became independent in 2011, taking with it the bulk of oil earnings.

The resulting shortages in basic goods have fuelled spiralling inflation that has devastated the purchasing power and living standards of ordinary Sudanese from agricultural labourers to middle-class professionals.

The immediate trigger for the demonstrations was a government decision to triple the price of bread because of a chronic shortage of flour.

But the demonstrations swiftly mushroomed as they fed into wider grievances and the Sudanese Professionals Association -- an umbrella group of teachers, doctors and engineer -- has taken the lead in using social media to organise daily protests against the government.

It was only afterwards that the political opposition joined in, forming an alliance with the SPA.

"The imposing of emergency, unfortunately, suggests that things will get worse before they get better," said Murithi Mutiga of Brussels-based think tank, the International Crisis Group (ICG).

"It concentrates powers in Bashir's hands and sets the stage for a confrontation with the protest movement, which may become more violent than it has been."

'Repression to buy time'

Mutiga said Bashir's moves suggest he has no tools to revive the economy.

"At best he can use repression to buy some time. He has no good options to save the regime," he said.

Human Rights Watch says at least 51 people have been killed.

Officials say that 31 people have died in protest-related violence since the demonstrations began on December 19.&nbsp;

Hundreds of protesters, opposition leaders, activists and journalists have been jailed in a crackdown led by the feared National Intelligence and Security Service.&nbsp;

And the crackdown shows no sign of easing.&nbsp;

Soon after he imposed the emergency, prominent newspaper editor Osman Mirghani was detained by security agents for comments he made in a television interview criticising the move.

Bashir told Sudanese he understood the scale of the economic crisis facing the country.

"Our country is suffering from a difficult and complicated situation, the most difficult in its history," he said.

"The economic issue needs to be tackled by qualified people and for this I will form a government made of people of quality."

But the president's promise of a government of technocrats carries little credibility after so many years of economic mismanagement.

The protest alliance, which also includes the political wings of rebel groups in Sudan's three domestic war zones, has united around a platform that promises radical reforms, including an end to huge military spending on the conflicts. 
&nbsp;

Sudanese protest leaders on Saturday dismissed veteran President Omar al-Bashir's declaration of a state of emergency and vowed to keep up nationwide demonstrations until his "regime is overthrown.

Sudanese protest leaders on Saturday dismissed veteran President Omar al-Bashir's declaration of a state of emergency and vowed to keep up nationwide demonstrations until his "regime is overthrown." Bashir's three-decade rule has been rocked by two months of protests that a deadly crackdown has failed to suppress and on Friday he imposed a nationwide state of emergency and dissolved the federal and provincial governments. In a televised speech to the nation, the veteran leader pledged to form a government of technocrats to address the country's chronic economic woes, which have been the driving force behind the protests. But protest organisers and their supporters in the political opposition said the state of emergency showed that Bashir's government was weakened and only its overthrow would now satisfy the protesters. "Imposing a state of emergency shows the fear within the regime," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said "We will continue with our people to take to the streets across all towns and villages until our demand has been achieved." The National Umma Party, whose leader Sadiq al-Mahdi was Sudan's elected prime minister when Bashir seized power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, said the protests against his successor's iron-fisted rule would continue until he quit. "Dissolving the government and imposing a state of emergency is nothing but a repetition of this regime's failures," it said. "Nothing will satisfy the people who are taking to the streets except the overthrow of this regime." Recovery now 'less likely' Analysts said the state of emergency was an act of desperation that would make it even harder to turn round the economy and ease public anger. "The declaration of emergency powers only makes it less likely that the economy can be revived," said Eric Reeves, a senior fellow at Harvard University, who has tracked Sudan's politics and economy for two decades. "The regime has never understood economics...that’s why there are in the mess they are." Sudan has been hit by a chronic shortage of hard currency to pay for imports that have worsened since South Sudan became independent in 2011, taking with it the bulk of oil earnings. The resulting shortages in basic goods have fuelled spiralling inflation that has devastated the purchasing power and living standards of ordinary Sudanese from agricultural labourers to middle-class professionals. The immediate trigger for the demonstrations was a government decision to triple the price of bread because of a chronic shortage of flour. But the demonstrations swiftly mushroomed as they fed into wider grievances and the Sudanese Professionals Association -- an umbrella group of teachers, doctors and engineer -- has taken the lead in using social media to organise daily protests against the government. It was only afterwards that the political opposition joined in, forming an alliance with the SPA. "The imposing of emergency, unfortunately, suggests that things will get worse before they get better," said Murithi Mutiga of Brussels-based think tank, the International Crisis Group (ICG). "It concentrates powers in Bashir's hands and sets the stage for a confrontation with the protest movement, which may become more violent than it has been." 'Repression to buy time' Mutiga said Bashir's moves suggest he has no tools to revive the economy. "At best he can use repression to buy some time. He has no good options to save the regime," he said. Human Rights Watch says at least 51 people have been killed. Officials say that 31 people have died in protest-related violence since the demonstrations began on December 19. Hundreds of protesters, opposition leaders, activists and journalists have been jailed in a crackdown led by the feared National Intelligence and Security Service. And the crackdown shows no sign of easing. Soon after he imposed the emergency, prominent newspaper editor Osman Mirghani was detained by security agents for comments he made in a television interview criticising the move. Bashir told Sudanese he understood the scale of the economic crisis facing the country. "Our country is suffering from a difficult and complicated situation, the most difficult in its history," he said. "The economic issue needs to be tackled by qualified people and for this I will form a government made of people of quality." But the president's promise of a government of technocrats carries little credibility after so many years of economic mismanagement. The protest alliance, which also includes the political wings of rebel groups in Sudan's three domestic war zones, has united around a platform that promises radical reforms, including an end to huge military spending on the conflicts.

Protest leaders dismiss Sudan emergency, demand President Omar al-Bashir quit

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sudans-bashir-fights-for-survival-as-protests-spread-193195">Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir</a>, facing near-daily demonstrations against his government, took a newly conciliatory tone with the protesters on Wednesday, saying they are mostly young with poor prospects, and pledging to release detained journalists.

Bashir's remarks appeared to be part of a new strategy to soften the government's stance toward the protests after the Defence Minister and Prime Minister made similar remarks in recent days.

"Most of the protesters are young and there are factors that drove them to take to the streets, including inflation, which led to higher prices - and the limited job opportunities that don't match the number of graduates," Bashir told journalists invited to the presidential palace for a "discussion of recent events".&nbsp;

The remarks are a dramatic contrast to Bashir's previous demand for the "rats to go back to their holes".

Bashir warned against destabilising the Sudanese state, however, saying "you can look at what happened in Libya," which has been in a state of turmoil since a 2011 civil war led to the overthrow of longstanding ruler Muammar Gaddafi.&nbsp;

The protests, which started on December 19, were triggered by price increases, limits on cash withdrawals and other economic hardships but have since shifted focus to Bashir's 30-year rule.

Police officers have used teargas and occasionally live bullets to disperse the demonstrations. Human rights activists say at least 45 have been killed. The government puts the death toll at 30, including two security personnel. Political activists, civil society members and journalists have been detained.&nbsp;

Bashir said all journalists who have been jailed in connection with the protests would be released. Activists estimate the number of journalists in prison at 16.

He also said young people's anger was fuelled by the "wrong implementation" of Sudan's public order laws. The morality laws have been criticized by human rights organizations for restricting the freedom of women by, for example, making it a crime for a woman to wear trousers.

Defence Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf said on Monday young people caught up in the protests had "reasonable ambition". On Saturday, Prime Minister Moataz Moussa described calls for better living conditions as "legitimate".&nbsp;

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court over charges of masterminding genocide in the Darfur region, which he denies. He has been lobbying to be removed from a list of countries that Washington considers state sponsors of terrorism.

The listing has blocked the investment and financial aid that Sudan was hoping for when the United States lifted sanctions in 2017, economists say.

Sudan has been rapidly expanding its money supply in an attempt to finance its budget deficit, causing spiralling inflation and a steep decline in the value of its currency.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, facing near-daily demonstrations against his government, took a newly conciliatory tone with the protesters on Wednesday, saying they are mostly young with poor prospects, and pledging to release detained journalists.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, facing near-daily demonstrations against his government, took a newly conciliatory tone with the protesters on Wednesday, saying they are mostly young with poor prospects, and pledging to release detained journalists. Bashir's remarks appeared to be part of a new strategy to soften the government's stance toward the protests after the Defence Minister and Prime Minister made similar remarks in recent days. "Most of the protesters are young and there are factors that drove them to take to the streets, including inflation, which led to higher prices - and the limited job opportunities that don't match the number of graduates," Bashir told journalists invited to the presidential palace for a "discussion of recent events". The remarks are a dramatic contrast to Bashir's previous demand for the "rats to go back to their holes". Bashir warned against destabilising the Sudanese state, however, saying "you can look at what happened in Libya," which has been in a state of turmoil since a 2011 civil war led to the overthrow of longstanding ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The protests, which started on December 19, were triggered by price increases, limits on cash withdrawals and other economic hardships but have since shifted focus to Bashir's 30-year rule. Police officers have used teargas and occasionally live bullets to disperse the demonstrations. Human rights activists say at least 45 have been killed. The government puts the death toll at 30, including two security personnel. Political activists, civil society members and journalists have been detained. Bashir said all journalists who have been jailed in connection with the protests would be released. Activists estimate the number of journalists in prison at 16. He also said young people's anger was fuelled by the "wrong implementation" of Sudan's public order laws. The morality laws have been criticized by human rights organizations for restricting the freedom of women by, for example, making it a crime for a woman to wear trousers. Defence Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf said on Monday young people caught up in the protests had "reasonable ambition". On Saturday, Prime Minister Moataz Moussa described calls for better living conditions as "legitimate". Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court over charges of masterminding genocide in the Darfur region, which he denies. He has been lobbying to be removed from a list of countries that Washington considers state sponsors of terrorism. The listing has blocked the investment and financial aid that Sudan was hoping for when the United States lifted sanctions in 2017, economists say. Sudan has been rapidly expanding its money supply in an attempt to finance its budget deficit, causing spiralling inflation and a steep decline in the value of its currency.

Sudan's President Bashir softens tone, says reporters to be released

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