As of: October 21, 2021 11:04 p.m.
Tens of thousands have demonstrated in Sudanese cities for the establishment of a civilian government. When they met protesters from a rival camp, the police forcefully dispersed them. Dozens of people were injured.
Dozens of people have been injured during protests by rival political camps in Sudan. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the capital, Khartoum, and other cities to demand the establishment of a civilian government. They met demonstrators who had been demanding the removal of the transitional government by the military for days in front of parliament.
The police have pushed back the supporters of a civilian government with “violence, bullets and tear gas”, said the Sudanese medical committee. Almost 40 people were injured.
High inflation and political divisions
In Sudan, after the overthrow of the long-term authoritarian ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, a so-called Sovereign Council took over the affairs of state, in which the military and civilians share power. Since then, the country has been in a fragile transition phase, which is expected to end with the establishment of a civilian government in 2023. High inflation, economic difficulties and deep political divisions exacerbate the situation.
In the past few months, the incumbent interim government had launched a series of economic reforms in order to qualify for debt relief from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In the course of the reforms, among other things, state subsidies for fuel were cut. Other measures also led to a massive loss of confidence in the transitional government. There have been protests in the east of the country for weeks. Protesters have been blocking trade in goods in the port of Port Sudan since September.