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Sudanese protesters, with the support of the African Union regional bloc, continue to pressure the country's new military council to hand over power to a civilian authority after the dismissal of the long-time leader , Omar al-Bashir. The Sudanese Trade Association had warned Monday against attempts to disperse the ongoing sit-in protest outside the army headquarters in Khartoum, the capital.
"We want the military council to be dissolved and replaced by a civilian council composed of representatives of the army," said Mohamed Naji, senior official of the Sudanese Professionals' Association, according to the agency. AFP press.
A strong statement from the bloc of the African Union said Monday that "the support by the army is not the appropriate response to the challenges facing Sudan and to the aspirations of its people" .
The Sudanese Professionals Association (ASP) has spearheaded several months of protests across Sudan, which culminated in the fall of Bashir and the creation of a presidential military council presided over from now on. by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The PSA has proposed to create a civilian transitional authority with a presidential council, a cabinet and a legislative council comprising 100 members, according to Hafiz Mohamed of the Justice Africa Sudan group.
"This is the form of the proposed government that they want to put in place," said Mohamed, describing the demands presented to the military. "The army refuses, they said they would not give that to the protesters," he added.
"Any attempt to mitigate the changes will be met with strong resistance from young men and women determined to stay the course," said Mohamed, director of the research and advocacy group.
According to witnesses, security forces on Monday surrounded the protest area and began dismantling the barricades erected by the demonstrators, the AFP news agency reported. The SPA also warned against attempts to disperse the protest.
"They are not able to force them out," said Mohamed, referring to a possible attempt by the army to end the sit-in. "The military council itself is still shaking, it does not have enough confidence in what it's doing, there are too many problems," he added, saying that a possible dispersal by force would only encourage more rigorous protests.
The protesters also requested changes to the notorious National Security and Intelligence Service (NISS). A new NISS leader and army chief of staff have been appointed following the resignation of Chief Salih Ghosh on Saturday.
"The role that they [the NISS] Previously, who totally controls the state, all they have to do – choose ministers, run the economy – is the end, "said Mohamed, explaining how the dreaded intelligence agency should be dismantled.
Another key demand of the protesters is that Bashir and his entourage be brought to justice. The military council has already announced that it will investigate allegations of corruption and crimes committed during his reign. However, questions remain about the scope and potential impact of any investigation conducted by the military.
"The generals themselves are not irreproachable and that is why they will do their best to protect the regime's leaders and that means protecting themselves," Mohamed said in a telephone interview from Khartoum. "But justice will be done because the pressure for justice will continue, people will not remain silent."
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