Sudanese dictator Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, who ruled his nation for 30 years after coming to power in a military coup in 1989, was arrested and forced to step down by his country’s military on Thursday, April 11, after months of popular protests against his regime. Sudanese armed forces also arrested Prime Minister Mohamed Taher Ayala and the head of the ruling National Congress Party, Ahmed Haroun, along with dozens of other Sudanese officials, a top military official with direct knowledge of the situation told CNN.
Former defense minister Abdel Rehim Mohamed Hussein, former government minister and leading member of the National Congress Awad Al-Jaz and former vice presidents Berri Hassan Saleh and Ali Othman Taha, were among those arrested, the official said. CNN reported witnessing “military troops in the capital Khartoum storming the Islamic Movement headquarters, part of the ruling party”.
Khartoum demonstration against Al-Bashir on Wednesday evening, April 10 (Photo: Al-Ittihad)
Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service today announced the release of all political prisoners across the country, the state news agency SUNA reported. Shortly after the announcement, Twitter users circulated photos showing former detainees being welcomed by protesters as they joined demonstrations against Al-Bashir.
On Thursday morning the Sudanese Communist Party said that the “Forces for Freedom and Change stand firm, demanding the immediate and unconditional surrender of power and calling on the masses to continue their protests until the total defeat of the dictatorial regime.”
Tomorrow, Saturday, a demonstration in support of the Sudanese people’s struggle for democracy will be held at Levinsky Park in South Tel Aviv at 2:00 pm, under the initiative of Sudanese refugees and workers living in Tel Aviv and Israeli Left activists, among them members of Hadash.
The invitation to the Saturday event in Tel Aviv reads: “Our country is on the verge of history. The people of Sudan are fomenting of the most massive instances of civil disobedience Sudan has ever known. The Sudanese people in Israel are an essential part of the ongoing upraising in Sudan. For months we have refrained from publicly protesting to avoid causing any further security risks to our comrades. Now is the time for our public support. Please join us this Saturday for a solidarity protest and to call upon all the regional and international actors to side with the will of our people.”
