Sudan people's Uprising: No bread, money, the people want the fall of brutal Bashir regime

Sudan: The image shown on Sudanese TV against what is happening in the streets.

For nearly two weeks, the Sudanese people have been out in the streets in mass across Sudan protesting against the rickety, paranoid and brutal dictatorial government of the now President for Life Omar al Bashir. The protesters chanted, "bread, freedom and peace." Others shouted "down with the dictatorship." The ruling party NCP's headquarters were burned down in Atbara. But these protests are not a late Arab spring. It is worth remembering that the current protests that began in the marginalized cities of Atbara north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum and El Gadarif in Southeast Sudan near the border with Eritrea, are not new protests. As been said before, the Sudanese have been protesting against the government for the past thirty years sometimes in silent and without fear. The largest, continuous protests were the 2013 named the Sudanese Intifada. It began as an anti austerity turned anti government protests that lasted several weeks but was quenched by the NISS (National Intelligence Security Services). In January another series of protests were launched in Khartoum and other cities against the rising commodity prices and confiscation of public land in the capital. The protests that started on December 19th, are a continuation of the January 2018 protests and previous nationwide demonstrations. However, the December protests go beyond the lack of bread, no access to banks and cash, high costs of medicines, rising gas prices, lack of teachers' salaries austerity measures (which launched the 2013 and 2018 protests), the media censorship and newspaper closures across the country, and police brutality towards ordinary Sudanese civilians in Khartoum, El Gadarif, Darfur, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile state. Students have been arrested and tortured, teachers have been arrested. So have opposition leaders inside the country and from the diaspora who returned home. Some 37 protesters so far have been killed by police according to Amnesty International. Doctors and nurses have joined the protests so have journalists. University student, Moayed Ahmad Mahmoud was killed in El Gadarif following protesters attacking the police station as part of protests. The people are not afraid of facing down the police and the violence of the state. The protesters are directing their anger at Omar Bashir, his supporters and military junta that has ruled Sudan since 1989. The Association of Sudanese Professions have called for the protesters to march on the presidential palace on January 1st coinciding with Sudan's independence. The government has shut off the internet and blocked some sites in hope of the world not hearing about the protests.

What happened in El Gadarif? On the protests inside the city

Protesters in front of El Gadarif' Police station December 20th

 The Sudanese junta government has use the military, NISS Sudanese intelligence, police, austerity measures and egregious corruption to keep themselves clinging to power much like its despised brother in arms ally the House of Saud ie the Saudi Royal family. It's not a coincidence that the nation wide protest started in Atbara and El Gadarif, both are worker and farming towns that have strong unions, whom never been afraid to protests or stand up to government authorities in police uniform or excessive force by the NISS, the once feared intelligence similar to the Mukhabarat in Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Saudi. Atbara, which connects Northern most towns to the rest of Sudan via a large railroad station has been at the head of two large national peaceful protests in the country's history. The 1964 Uprising and the 1985 protests that overthrew the military government of Gaafar Nimiery and brought a civilian government to power. That government was later overthrown by Bashir. Blinded by paranoia and protected (for now), Bashir sees himself as a president for life of Sudan despite the protests from the people and even his close aids. He is a wanted war criminal that has killed over a million since 1989 in the Sudanese Civil War that led to South Sudan's independence in 2011.

In the wartorn regions, the shells of once strong movements are also watching intently

In Darfur, most famous outside of Sudan for being the cause celebre of many concerned students, self proclaim activists from Hollywood who knew little if anything about Darfur beyond the media image of African vs Arab and ethnic cleansing by the Janjaweed. International interest in Darfur all about ended in 2008. It sparked the now hypocritical R2P (Responsibility to Respect) never mind the societal destruction that still remains in Darfur, Libya and South Sudan who was praised for its independence from the North by the Western countries. Darfur people continue to be displaced and live in hundreds of IDP camps and refugee camps in neighboring Chad. Students from Darfur have been facing police violence, brutality, arrest, torture and false imprisonment. Darfuris' grievances against the government started well before Bashir came to power, going back to the 1983 drought that affected Sudan and Ethiopia. Droughts have been a frequent occurrence in North Africa and the Horn of Africa since 1970s. Partly due to the Sahara desert expanding toward Central Africa. Two Darfur groups JEM and Sudan Liberation Movement SLM, unofficial representatives for Darfuris whose goals have grown less clear over the years, originally called for constitutional reform, greater power sharing and freedom for all Sudanese regardless of region or religion. As the Darfur conflict dragged on in the background of the rest of the world, JEM and SLM broke up into smaller factions SLM Minnawi and their attacks on the government have since been overpowered by the Sudanese armies. It is curious that many of the former major Darfur and Nuba rights, anti government groups have all splintered in some form over the past few years. JEM and the various SLMs and SPLM North still continue to fight for Jebel Marra regarded as a strategic location in Darfur. In the Nuba Mountains and South Kordofan where ordinary women children, elderly and men are collectively punished in the name of fighting so called "rebel movements" namely the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement North or SPLM North. The leader of SPLM Abdel Aziz Al Hilu has called for the protesters to escalate the protests. Despite its united call for freedom and end to the destructive low intensity wars in Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile and in Jebel Marra in Darfur, the SPLM North has seen its leadership broken into two groups and its original unified goal weakened. The SPLM-AW also operates in Darfur under Abdel Wahab and SLM under Al Hilu. This protest is ongoing and the events in Sudan will be expanded on. Please share the videos both English and Arabic no matter if it is word of mouth or online. As usual enjoy the read and videos.