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Sudan Tribune

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SPLM-N Agar backs anti-austerity mobilisation as SLM-Minnawi condemns crackdown on protesters

Demonstrators in Khartoum downtown march to protest against the Sudanese government's subsidies cuts and austerity measures on 16 January 2018 (ST Photo)
Demonstrators in Khartoum downtown march to protest against the Sudanese government’s subsidies cuts and austerity measures on 16 January 2018 (ST Photo)

January 16, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Malik Agar announced its support to the steps agreed by the opposition forces to mobilise the street against the economic austerity measures and called to unite the opposition ranks.

Also, the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) condemned the violent repression of Tuesday’s protest by the security forces.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Agar said they received a letter from the leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) Sadiq al-Mahdi on behalf of the leadership of the Sudan Call forces after a meeting held in the NUP premises in Omdurman.

It also comes after a demonstration initiated the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) and supported by the opposition groups in Khartoum against the government decision to double the price of bread. The opposition plans to hold more protest in the upcoming days.

“We support the steps of escalation and resistance to the economic policies of the regime, its infringements on freedoms and we uphold the right of our people to change,” said Agar in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

He commended the SCP-organized protest and called on the Sudanese to participate in all the demonstrations announced by the opposition on Wednesday and afterwards.

Agar disclosed that the SPLM-N has a “working group” participating in the internal mobilization and directed its members in the capital and other states as well as the Diaspora to participate actively in the “resistance and popular escalation”

Also, he welcomed the unity the efforts to reunite the opposition groups and its openness to the women, youth, IDPs and others.

The several opposition groups in Khartoum says the vertiginous hike in the price of bread creates an opportunity to mobilize the street, pointing to the need put aside their divergences over the best way to reform or to topple down the regime.

The SCP and its allies of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) refuse to take part in the African Union efforts to achieve peace and democratic reforms, calling to peaceful protests to overthrow the regime. The Sudan Call, which is part of the stalemated-African process, decided to back the protests

SLM-MINNAWI CONDEMNS

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), for its part, issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the regime’s crackdown on the peaceful demonstration in Khartoum on Tuesday.

“This barbaric approach is the core policy of the NCP Regime to suppress the Sudanese people to remain for a longer period in power,” said Minnawi in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

“The SLM stands firmly with the basic human rights and freedom of opinion and its expression through peaceful means and strongly condemns the violent repression against the peaceful demonstration,” he further said.

The Sudanese security forces and anti-riot police used tear gas and struck protesters with batons in order to disperse the peaceful and authorized demonstration in Khartoum on Tuesday. They further arrested several protesters.

(ST)

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