Day 2 of strike kicks off
Today marks the final day of a two-day national strike called by protest leaders in Sudan. They are pushing for a handover of power from the military junta that has been in charge since April 11, 2019.
The junta ousted Omar al-Bashir and have since been under pressure from protesters and the international community to handover power to a civilian transition team.
Talks between the two groups – protesters and junta – has passed the stage of a legislative arrangement but the contentious issue is of the sovereign council that will head the three-year transition.
The council is expected to be a joint body with civilian and military representation but its constitution and leadership has led to a partial breakdown of the talks.
Whiles protests like that of yesterday – today and a rolling sit-in continue to be used by the protesters, the junta’s leaders continue to court support of countries in the region and the wider Gulf Region.
Junta chief Abdel Fattah Burhan has in under a week made trips to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, South Sudan and yesterday to Ethiopia where he met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the African Union’s head of peace and security.
In a meeting between Burhan and Abiy, the Prime Minister offered advise on the crisis back home but pledged not to interfere[1] in the transition process, his office said in a social media post.
Day 1 of nationwide strike
A two-day general strike in Sudan started in the wee hours of Tuesday morning with public services largely grounded across the country, multiple reports have shown.
The latest move is a resort being used by the protest leaders to push for a civilian-led transition. The country is in a state of flux since April 11 when the military ousted long-serving Omar Al-Bashir.
A significant effect of the action is the paralyzing of airports with staff having joined the strike call. Travelers have been left stranded in the wake of the compliance.
Hours to the start of the action, several government-run institutions expressed their support with activists posting photos and statements to that effect on social media platforms.
The protest movement has in the past applied a series of measures including the strikes, mass protests – that were usually clamped down on and the infamous sit-in at the army headquarters in Khartoum.
The sit-ins and subsequent road blocks in key parts of the capital were largely the final nail in the coffin of Bashir. He was arrested after being deposed and is held at a maximum security jail.
May 24 call for protests
Last Friday (May 25), the Alliance for Freedom and Change, a loose coalition of parties, civil society groups and professional bodies, called for the campaign of civil disobedience.
It seeks to pile more pressure on the army, which it accuses of deliberately frustrating the power transfer talks. The campaign received backing from most members of the alliance.
Sudan’s main opposition al Ummah party, rejected it saying it was badly timed and risked worsening tensions with the ruling military council.
The head of the Military Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, concluded trips to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and South Sudan in an apparent effort to seek backing for the junta.
Talks between the military and protesters remain deadlocked with no breakthrough over the composition of the sovereign council which will be set up to manage the transition.
The protesters have accused the army of resorting to violence to break the sit-in at the defence ministry headquarters.
References
- ^ not to interfere (t.co)
Newer articles:
- South Sudan says renewing arms embargo is 'anti-peace' - 31/05/2019 03:01
- South Sudan: Dulamaya IDP site - Rokon County Site report - May 2019 - 30/05/2019 01:42
- South Sudan: Families receive seeds and tools to plant as rains set in - 30/05/2019 01:40
- Uganda: Press South Sudan Government On Killings of Ugandans - 30/05/2019 01:18
- 'Demo' found written on South Sudan in Google Maps - 29/05/2019 11:33
Older news items
- Former South Sudan FA President Chabur Goc Alei is arrested as he appeal Fifa ban - 29/05/2019 08:19
- Sudan: ICRC Distributes Food, seeds and tools to 138,000 people facing food insecurity - 29/05/2019 07:40
- South Sudan launches first international voice gateway - 29/05/2019 04:21
- South Sudan struggles to increase oil production after war - 29/05/2019 02:53
- Sudan's 48-hour national strike: Flights disrupted, offices shut - 29/05/2019 01:07
Latest news items (all categories):
- Hope for Christmas gift as South Sudan talks return to Nairobi - 05/12/2024 10:26
- Chinese medical team brings relief to South Sudan patients - 05/12/2024 10:18
- Sudanese bishop speaks about being brutalized by soldiers - 05/12/2024 10:08
- President Biden: Absent Principles - No Honoring Words - Broken Promises - 05/12/2024 09:55
- South Sudan’s ‘Game Of Thrones’ Continues – Analysis - 01/12/2024 17:47
Random articles (all categories):
- South Sudan war: What needs to be done - 10/09/2017 11:08
- It's a big step forward but COP28 won't stop warming - 13/12/2023 05:18
- Autocratic Islamic Regime in Sudan - 09/11/2007 00:53
- South Sudan rebels forcibly recruiting civilians to march on capital - 03/01/2014 02:42
- Uganda government in talks over repatriation of bodies in South Sudan - 03/04/2021 06:28
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 58429 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22216 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21360 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 18883 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 17999 times