- Title: Thousands in Sudan demonstrate in favour of civilian rule
- Date: 30th September 2021
- Summary: KHARTOUM, SUDAN (SEPTEMBER 30, 2021) (REUTERS) DRONE SHOT OF PROTESTERS ARRIVING BY TRAIN FROM CITY OF MADANI IN AL-JAZEERA PROVINCE (MUTE) PROTESTERS ARRIVING BY TRAIN PROTESTERS ON TRAIN ROOFTOP, CHANTING (Arabic): "FREEDOM" PROTESTERS DANCING PROTESTER RAISING BANNER READING (Arabic): "NO TO THE COUP" WOMAN ULULATING AND CHEERING POLITICAL ACTIVIST GAAFAR KHEDR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, GAAFAR KHEDR, SAYING: "We are coming for a full civilian government, we are coming to pay tribute to the blood of the martyrs, we are coming to tell our civilian government 'do your best and be up to the revolution'. The performance is weak and is not up to the standard of the revolution and the revolutionaries." VARIOUS OF KHEDR ON WHEELCHAIR AT TRAIN STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, GAAFAR KHEDR, SAYING: "I want to tell the ministers and (Forces of) Freedom and Change, these power-sharing schemes do not honour the blood of martyrs, the injured, missing or the raped women. We are united against our main enemy, the coup plotters, the remnants of the National Congress Party (of Omar al-Bashir) and Omar al-Bashir's security committee." DRONE SHOT OF PROTESTERS ARRIVING AT TRAIN STATION (MUTE) PROTESTERS MARCHING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, ROKAYA HASHIM, SAYING: "The civilians should support us, just like we supported them and made them reach power, we don't want them to sit in the chairs of power, we want them to work." DRONE SHOT OF PROTESTS (MUTE) PROTESTERS WITH SUDANESE FLAGS STANDING IN FRONT OF HEADQUARTERS OF COMMITTEE TO DISMANTLE THE JUNE 30, 1989 REGIME AND RETRIEVE PUBLIC FUNDS VARIOUS OF SIGN READING (Arabic): "COMMITTEE TO DISMANTLE THE JUNE 30, 1989 REGIME AND RETRIEVE PUBLIC FUNDS" / PROTESTERS GATHERING PROTESTERS GATHERED PROTESTERS CHANTING AND CLAPPING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) POLITICAL ACTIVIST, YASSIR MERGHANY, SAYING: "The Committee to Dismantle (the June 30, 1989 Regime and Retrieve Public Funds) represents us and the Sudanese public. It is the only body that is working to dismantle the old regime and uprooting the Islamists and the corrupt." VARIOUS OF POLITICAL ANALYST, MOATASSEM AHMED AL-HASSAN, IN OFFICE VARIOUS OF HASSAN WORKING ON LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) POLITICAL ANALYST, MOATASSEM AHMED AL-HASSAN, SAYING: "The protests and the people demand the protection of the democratic transition and to bring back the train of the revolution to its right track. (They demand) the completion of bodies of civilian rule, including the parliament, in addition to the demands raised by the prime minister to include all the revolutionary powers in the transitional government, the formation of the constitutional court and the completion of all institutions agreed upon in the constitutional document." HASSAN'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) POLITICAL ANALYST, MOATASSEM AHMED AL-HASSAN, SAYING: "The democratic transition in Sudan is supported internationally, Khartoum is witnessing now visits by many envoys from countries abroad. Today there is a side event as part of the United Nations General Assembly to support the democratic transition in Sudan. The comment made by U.N. Security General (Antonio Guterres) is addressing Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok."
- Embargoed: 14th October 2021 20:04
- Keywords: Civilians Government Military Politics Protests Sudan
- Location: KHARTOUM, SUDAN
- City: KHARTOUM, SUDAN
- Country: Sudan
- Topics: Africa,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWWVYH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: An estimated 20,000 Sudanese people protested on Thursday (September 30) in the capital Kharoum in support of a civilian-led transition to democracy after an attempted coup last week.
The attempt, which officials blamed on soldiers loyal to the previous government of Omar al-Bashir, laid bare divisions between military and civilian groups sharing power during a transition that is meant to run to 2023 and lead to elections.
Many protesters came from outside Khartoum by train from the cities of Atbara and Madani.
A crowd of thousands celebrated the arrival of the Madani train, climbing on top, waving national flags and chanting "the army is Sudan's army, not Burhan's army" - a reference to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of Sudan's military and its ruling sovereign council.
Civilian officials greeted the protesters. But security forces later fired volleys of tear gas to break up the gathering, a Reuters reporter said.
After last week's coup attempt, civilian officials accused military leaders of overstepping their bounds, while generals criticised civilian management of the economy and political process and said their forces were neglected and disrespected.
The military removed Bashir in April 2019 after months of protests triggered by an economic crisis.
It then signed a power-sharing deal with the civilian Forces of Freedom and Change coalition.
The FFC supported Thursday's demonstrations, which converged on the central Khartoum headquarters of a task force working to dismantle the Bashir administration.
(Production: El Tayeb Siddig, Mai Shams El-Din) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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