Thousands of Sudanese urged by rally in front of Army HQ

Sudanese police threw tear gas on Sunday at thousands of protesters who gathered in front of the army headquarters for a second day, urging the military to support them in demanding the resignation of President Omar al-Qaeda. Bashir.

In chanting "The Sudan rises, the army rises", crowds gathered in front of the Khartoum complex which also houses the official residence of Bashir and the Ministry of Defense, many of whom have spent the night here, have declared witnesses.

"We will not leave this area until he resigns," said protester Oussama Ahmed.

Bashir chaired a meeting of the security council as protesters continued to chant slogans outside the compound.

"The Security Council confirmed that the protesters were part of the Sudanese community and that their vision and demands must be heard," the presidency said in a statement.

"The council will take steps to strengthen peace and security across the country."

The protesters hissed and saluted the military vehicles entering the compound, urging some soldiers to waved a day after the protesters rallied to ask the army to "come to us." rejoin".

Riot police were deployed near the compound on Sunday morning, firing tear gas in an unsuccessful attempt to disperse the crowd, a witness told AFP.

The organizers of the protest chose April 6 to begin the rally in front of the army headquarters to mark the 1985 uprising that overthrew the then president's regime, Jaafar Nimeiri.

Since the beginning of the protests, security agents and riot police have cracked down on protesters, but the army has not intervened.

More protesters arrive

The rally was the largest since the beginning of the demonstrations on December 19 in Atbara, in the city center, and spread quickly to the capital and cities and towns of the country.

According to witnesses, protesters arrived Sunday in cars, buses and on foot from the army complex.

Many offered afternoon prayers on the road outside the complex, while others flaunted Sudanese flags over their heads to protect themselves from the sun of the day. 39, afternoon.

"Reversing, overthrowing," chanted young men and women. Many climbed onto the roofs of cars and buses, displaying the sign of victory, spectators said.

"Many people came with food and water as they planned to camp here for days," said one witness.

Sunday's protests coincided with a national power outage that the Ministry of Electricity blamed on a technical problem.

Outside the army complex, protesters sang nationalist songs, whistling and applauding as they continued with the rally.

Protesters blocked a nearby bridge linking Khartoum in northern Bahari district with rocks causing huge traffic jams, spectators said.

According to witnesses, several private companies have advertised vacations in their offices, while some have made arrangements to deliver water, snacks and fruit juice to protesters.

& # 39; Losing a bet & # 39;

At another protest on Saturday, a protester was killed in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum, police said.

According to officials, 32 people have died since protests erupted in this East African country after the government 's decision to triple the price of bread.

Human Rights Watch estimated the death toll at 51, including doctors and children.

The demonstrations quickly turned into demonstrations against the Bashir government. Protesters accused him of mismanaging the economy, which resulted in soaring food prices and a regular shortage of fuel and currency.

Bashir acknowledged that the economic concerns raised by the protesters were "legitimate", although he imposed an emergency state on February 22, after an initial crackdown campaign was launched. It was not possible to contain the demonstrations.

The scale and intensity of the demonstrations have decreased since the entry into force of the emergency rule.

But with badysts at Saturday's rally, the protest movement has gained momentum.

"The sheer scale of Saturday's demonstrations shows that Bashir's bet of saving his regime through repression turns out to be a lost bet," said Murithi Mutiga of the International Crisis Group.

Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged war crimes and genocide in the war-torn Darfur region, was brought to power by a 1989 Islamist-backed coup d'etat.

He remained provocative, introducing harsh measures that arrested protesters, opposition leaders, activists and journalists.