February 18, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese army on Monday has retired some 79 military officers from the medium and junior ranks.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the army spokesman Amer Mohamed al-Hassan said the retirees’ list has been done with high professionalism"

His statement was published after the circulation in the social media of three separate lists seen by Sudan Tribune with “top secret” including 15 sub lieutenants, 29 lieutenant commanders and 35 colonels.

Among the 15 sub-lieutenants appears the name of Mohamed Siddiq Ibrahim Ahmed, who was the first military officer to join the protesters outside the army headquarter during the first week of April before al-Bashir’s ouster.

Activists have launched calls on the social media for a protest to show their solidarity with the first rebellious army officer who later was joined by others.

Ahmed had been arrested for a short time and reintegrated his unit later.

Sudanese army young officers expressed their support to the calls for regime change twice.

The first was when the protesters successfully reached the army headquarters on 6 April.

The second time when the security units from the Rapid Support Forces and the dissolved National Intelligence Security Services (NISS) raided the pro-democracy sit-in on 3 June while all the army units had been disarmed and ordered to remain in their caserns.

At the time, some of them joined the protesters weeping saying they had no arms to defend the civilians.

(ST)