The power of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, from the coup of 25 October 2021, is again in the viewfinder of the challenge.
Le Monde with AFP
Doctors protest against the attacks of hospitals, farmers against rising electricity and media calling for the right to cover the crisis in Sudan: military power is again Sunday, January 16 in the viewfinder of the protest <. p>
In Khartoum, in white coat, dozens of doctors handed to Prosecutor General two reports on attacks against the wounded, doctors and hospitals in the repression in all directions demonstrators protesting against the coup on 25 October, the army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed itself “eleven attacks since November.” “Whenever there are protests, security forces fire tear gas inside the same hospital where I work in Khartoum, told AFP Huda Ahmed, a practitioner. They even come us attack into the emergency department. “
The wounded were forcibly removed from ambulances or hospital beds and doctors were beaten into operating rooms, say doctors regularly.
Blockers in the north
But despite the repression that makes 64 deaths among the demonstrators and a policeman, civil society calls for new Monday demonstrations demanding the takeover by civilians of the transition to the promised democracy since 2019.
In the north, Sudanese have also demonstrated Sunday against the high cost of living in one of the poorest countries of the world. Last week, the Ministry of Finance announced to double the price of electricity per kilowatt but facing the outcry, the military has frozen its decision.
Despite the retreat, hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads in the north, especially to Egypt, calling for an outright cancellation of the increase. They have banned the passage of any vehicle “until the authorities have not canceled this increase because it sign the death certificate of our agriculture,” insists AFP Hassan Idriss, a protester.
Any increase or elimination of state subsidies on basic products can lead to worse in Sudan where 45 million people already have to deal with inflation of around 400% and where, according to the UN, in 2022, 30 % of Sudan will need humanitarian assistance. In 2018, the revolt that overthrew the following year President Omar al-Bashir was triggered by a government decision to triple the price of bread.
“Bullying” Press
The foreign minister under al-Bashir Ibrahim Ghandour, and “other inmates” have begun a hunger strike they cease once released or brought before an “impartial tribunal” according his relatives. Recently, the prosecutor ordered the release of several officials of the Bashir regime, but General Al-Burhan, only to commands Sudan ordered their continued detention.
“This is the first interference in judicial affairs in the history of our country,” railed the family of Mr. Ghandour while General Al-Burhan is accused by the protesters of trying to reimpose the men of the fallen regime, which is itself derived.
Before the anti-coup demonstrations planned Monday, the Ministry of Information withdrew the accreditation of Al Jazeera Live, a Qatari, accusing him of “unprofessional coverage” to “tear the fabric of Sudan “. In November, the bureau chief of Al-Jazeera in Khartoum, the Sudanese Al-Moussalami Al Kabbachi, was detained for three days without any charge.
The Embassy of the United States in Khartoum has denounced “a step backward”, while Al Jazeera denounced on Twitter a “bullying” calling “the authorities to allow his team to return to work.” In December, the office of a chain funded by Riyadh, Al-Arabiya, was attacked by officers, beaten journalists and seized equipment. And other journalists have reported being attacked or arrested by covering the events.
Before the coup, Sudan was 159 th of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders. The UN believes that it is now “increasingly hostile to journalists.”