Sudanese protesters remain resilient, but Bashir remains indomitable

KHARTOUM – Sudanese protester Osman Sulaiman has descended into the streets of Khartoum, shouting "overthrow, overthrow" almost daily since protests erupted against President Omar al-Bashir's iron hand regime in December.

And he insists that he does not intend to stop now.

"We must fight for our future and that of our country," said Sulaiman, an engineering graduate who has been unemployed for years.

As the protest campaign against the Bashir regime begins Tuesday in its third month, protesters continue to hold rallies despite the veteran leader's protest demonstrations and repressive measures taken by the authorities.

According to officials, 31 people have already died in protest-related violence, while Human Rights Watch said at least 51 were killed, including doctors and children.

Hundreds of protesters, opposition leaders, activists and journalists have been jailed by agents of the dreaded National Security and Intelligence Service (NISS).

"The resilience of the protesters has been very impressive," said Murithi Mutiga of the International Crisis Group (ICG).

"Two months have pbaded, but the movement has continued and participation has increased geographically and in all socio-economic clbades."

On Sunday, dozens of demonstrators gathered in Khartoum chanting their slogan "freedom, peace, justice" while police fired tear gas.

The first demonstrations took place on December 19 in the agricultural town of Atbara against the government's decision to triple the price of bread.

But rallies quickly turned into a major challenge to Bashir's three-decade rule, with participants demanding his resignation.

From the provinces to the streets of the capital and its twin city, Omdurman, the protests spread to villages, towns and cities of the East African nation.

They drew a sample of society including middle clbad professionals, farm workers, youth and political opponents of Bashir – thousands of women and men gathering across the country on certain days.

Only the three conflict zones of Darfur, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan are still largely devoid of mbad demonstrations.

THE MOVEMENT WILL NOT STOP

"Despite the violence unleashed by the regime, the movement has spread even to rural areas," said Mohamed Yusuf, spokesman of the Sudanese Professionals' Association (ASP), a coordinating group. who led the campaign.

"We believe that the movement will not stop until new groups join it".

The main Sudanese opposition party, the Umma National Party, led by former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, backed the campaign and called for Bashir's resignation.

Bashir came to power with a state coup backed by Islamists in 1989 that toppled Mahdi's elected government.

The PSA called on political groups to join their movement by signing a "Document for Freedom and Change".

The text describes a post-Bashir plan including the rebuilding of the Sudanese judicial system and the halting of the country's economic disaster, the main reason for the nationwide protests.

Sudan's financial difficulties have long been a cause of popular frustration before anger spreads in the streets after the rise in the price of bread.

Soaring inflation and severe currency shortages weighed on the economy, especially after South Sudan's independence in 2011 reduced the bulk of oil revenues.

The activists have always motivated their supporters by announcing rallies on behalf of their comrades detained or in honor of the "martyrs" killed during the demonstrations.

While security forces prevented demonstrators from going to downtown Khartoum, they gathered in outlying areas, sometimes at night.

On occasion, calls for demonstrations have failed to mobilize the population, but protests have also seen crowds of professors, doctors, engineers and teachers chanting anti-Bashir slogans.

DEAD END

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) insists that after two months, the campaign has begun to fade.

"The demonstrations continued for a long time, but the fact is that the protests have now slowed down," said NCP spokesman Ibrahim al-Siddiq.

"It's because protesters lack popular support."

Analysts say that the continued support of the security forces to the regime and that Bashir's own challenge has created a stalemate.

"The president remains very stubborn and the protesters remain very determined," said Mutiga of ICG.

"What we have now is a clear impbade."

Bashir countered the demonstrations by organizing his own rallies, promising economic development of the country and promoting peace in his war zones.

Rejecting his calls for his resignation, he insisted that the ballot box is the only way to change the government.

The 75-year-old leader plans to run for a third term in an election scheduled for 2020.

For now, those who go down the street say that they will keep up the pressure.

Aaya Omer, a resident of Burri District, east of Khartoum, shows no signs of dropping out.

"We will continue our struggle because we deserve a better life," said the 28-year-old.

"I will continue to protest until our mission to overthrow this regime is accomplished."