The mass marches held in Sudan this week breathed new life into the uprising that toppled long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir, but the protesters and the ruling military council remain at an impasse amid fears the country could slide into further chaos.
Sudanese protesters shout slogans during a demonstration against the ruling military council, in Khartoum, Sudan, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets on Sunday in Sudan's capital and elsewhere in the country calling for civilian rule, nearly three months after the army forced out the autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
Ethiopian and African Union mediators are working to restart the talks, but both sides have hardened their demands since last month’s violence, with the generals saying earlier proposals are off the table and the protesters calling for an immediate transition to civilian rule and an investigation into the killings.Protests first erupted in December in response to price hikes but rapidly escalated into near-daily marches calling for an end to al-Bashir’s nearly 30-year rule.
The process came to a screeching halt on June 3, when security forces attacked the sit-in. The military then imposed a nationwide internet blackout, making it difficult to organize anything beyond scattered demonstrations, mostly held at night. The generals annulled all previous deals and threatened to hold elections in nine months.Sunday’s marches provided a powerful show of unity, but internal divides among the protesters threaten to undermine their struggle going forward.
Gibril Ibrahim, an SRF leader, was quoted as saying that decision-making within the coalition has been “kidnapped” by a small committee “formed in vague circumstances with limited representation.”Ethiopia’s reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with both sides in Khartoum last month, and his administration along with the African Union has sought to mediate the crisis. The White House has expressed support for those efforts and has appointed a special envoy to Sudan.
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