KHARTOUM: Sudanese protester Osman Sulaiman has taken to the streets of Khartoum chanting “overthrow, overthrow” almost daily since demonstrations erupted against President Omar Al-Bashir’s iron-fisted rule in December.
And he insists he has no intention of stopping now.
“We have to fight our battle if we have to secure our future and the future of our country,” Sulaiman, an engineering graduate who has been unemployed for years, told AFP.
As the protest campaign against Bashir’s regime enters its third month on Tuesday, demonstrators are pressing on with rallies despite a show of defiance from the veteran leader and a sweeping crackdown by the authorities.
Officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence so far, while Human Rights Watch says at least 51 have been killed including medics and children.
Hundreds of protesters, opposition leaders, activists and journalists have been jailed by agents of the feared National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).
“The protesters’ resilience has been very impressive,” says Murithi Mutiga of International Crisis Group (ICG).
“Two months have passed, but the movement’s momentum has remained and participation has grown geographically and across socio-economic classes.”
On Sunday, scores of protesters rallied in Khartoum chanting their catchcry “freedom, peace, justice” as police fired tear gas.
Demonstrations first erupted on December 19 in the farming town of Atbara against a government decision to triple the price of bread.
But the rallies swiftly mushroomed into a major challenge to Bashir’s three-decade rule, with those taking part demanding his resignation.
From the provinces to the streets of the capital and its twin city Omdurman the demonstrations have spread through villages, towns and cities across the east African nation.
They have drawn in a cross section of society including middle-class professionals, agricultural laborers, youths and Bashir’s political opponents — with thousands of women and men rallying across the country on some days.
Only the three conflict zones of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan have remained largely devoid of mass demonstrations.
“Despite the violence unleashed by the regime, the movement has extended even to the rural areas,” said Mohamed Yusuf, a spokesman for the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), an umbrella group of unions that has spearheaded the campaign.
“We believe the movement will not stop as new groups have joined it.”
Sudan’s main opposition National Umma Party led by former premier Sadiq Al-Mahdi has backed the campaign and called for Bashir to step down.
Bashir swept to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989 that overthrew the elected government of Mahdi.
The SPA has called on political groups to join their movement by signing a “Document for Freedom and Change.”
The text outlines a post-Bashir plan including rebuilding Sudan’s justice system and halting the country’s dire economic decline, the key reason for the nationwide demonstrations.
Sudan’s financial woes were long a cause of popular frustration before the anger spilt onto the streets after the bread price hike.
Soaring inflation along with acute foreign currency shortages have battered the economy, especially after the independence of South Sudan in 2011 took away the bulk of oil earnings.
Protest campaigners have kept their supporters motivated by announcing rallies on behalf of detained comrades or to honor “martyrs” killed in the protests.
If security forces have prevented protesters from reaching downtown Khartoum, then they have rallied in outlying neighborhoods, sometimes at night.
On occasion, the calls to protest have failed to mobilize people, but there have also been demonstrations that have seen crowds of professors, doctors, engineers and teachers chanting anti-Bashir slogans.
The president’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) insists that after two months the campaign has begun petering out.
“The protests continued for a long time but the reality is that demonstrations have now slowed,” said NCP spokesman Ibrahim Al-Siddiq.
“This is because protesters lack popular support.”
Analysts say continuing support from the security forces for the regime and Bashir’s own defiance have created a deadlock.
“The president remains very stubborn and the protesters remain very determined,” said Mutiga of ICG.
“What we now have is a clear stalemate.”
Bashir has countered the demonstrations with his own rallies, promising economic development in the country and promoting peace in its war zones.
Dismissing calls for his resignation, he has insisted that the ballot box is the only way to change the government.
The 75-year-old leader is considering a run for a third term in an election scheduled in 2020.
For now, those taking to the streets say they will keep up the pressure.
Aaya Omer, a resident of Khartoum’s eastern district of Burri, shows no sign of giving up.
“We will continue with our struggle because we deserve a better life,” the 28-year-old woman said.
“I’ll continue to protest until our mission to overthrow this regime is achieved.”
Sudan protesters remain resilient, but Bashir unbowed
Sudan protesters remain resilient, but Bashir unbowed
- Demonstrators are pressing on with rallies despite a show of defiance from the veteran leader and a sweeping crackdown by the authorities
- Officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence so far
How Syrian women are joining demining efforts as displaced civilians return
- Explosive remnants from years of war threaten returning farmers across Syria’s northwest countryside
- Aid groups train local residents, including women, to identify mines and prevent deadly accidents
LONDON: As Syrians return to farmland abandoned during years of war, demining experts are training residents to recognize and respond to the hidden dangers of unexploded bombs and landmines, with local women increasingly stepping into those roles.
In communities where explosive ordnance contaminates fields and villages, France-based Humanity & Inclusion, formally Handicap International, concluded a three-week humanitarian mine action training course on Feb. 5 aimed at protecting civilians in northwestern Syria.
The training, led by the organization’s Hama office, seeks to confront a deadly legacy left by 14 years of civil war and renewed violence over the past year. Participants were taught practical skills to help safeguard their neighbors as families return to long-vacant homes and farmland.
The team consisted of two instructors, 12 trainees, 10 deminers, a deputy team leader, and a team leader, supported by two translators. Over three intensive weeks, they carried out tasks primarily in the Idlib countryside and areas toward Aleppo.
“Most of their work involves spot tasks, particularly those linked to critical infrastructure such as irrigation systems,” lead instructor David Francis told Arab News.
“In addition, with support from our community liaison and unsafe remnants of explosive programs, the team has also carried out clearance work in areas where communities have identified urgent needs.”
Among the trainees were two women from the local community, a development Francis described as significant and overdue.
One of them was Abeer Ghonimi, a researcher, mother and Arabic literature graduate who has worked in the humanitarian sector since 2017. She was previously a trainer raising awareness about remnants of war with Humanity & Inclusion.
“Working in mine action has been my dream since I first joined Humanity & Inclusion,” Ghonimi told Arab News by phone from Idlib.
During her initial orientation, the organization introduced its various projects, including its demining work.
“From that moment, I became determined to be part of this field,” she said. “When the opportunity arose, I applied to the training course without hesitation.
“There is no difference between men and women in their ability to contribute,” she said. “The war in Syria has shown that women play an essential role in supporting their communities.”
Her motivation is also personal. “At any moment, I may encounter unexploded ordnance, which can be extremely dangerous,” she said. “Or my son could be exposed to remnants of war.”
That fear, she said, pushed her to learn how to respond safely and to pass that knowledge on to her child and others.
The urgency of such training is underscored by a sharp increase in casualties from explosive ordnance since the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, after a lightning rebel coalition offensive led by now-interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.
Between then and March 25, 2025, the International Committee of the Red Cross recorded 748 casualties from landmines and explosive remnants. Of those, 500 occurred after Jan. 1, 2025. In comparison, 912 casualties were reported during all of 2024.
Similar figures were recorded by the International NGO Safety Organization, which documented 865 incidents causing 1,592 casualties — 585 killed and 1,007 injured — in the year following Dec. 8, 2024.
More than 530 of those incidents occurred on agricultural or grazing land, killing 348 people and injuring 560 others, making the pursuit of rural livelihoods one of the most dangerous daily activities for Syrians.
IN NUMBERS:
• 15.4 M People in Syria at risk from explosive remnants. *500 UXO casualties between Jan. 1 and March 25, 2025. (Sources: UNMAS, ICRC) ANAN TELLO
• 500 UXO casualties between Jan. 1 and March 25, 2025.
(Sources: UNMAS, ICRC)
More than 1.2 million refugees have returned from neighboring countries and at least 1.9 million internally displaced people have gone back to their areas of origin since December 2024, according to UN figures. Many unknowingly entered hazardous areas.
Economic hardship has also driven more people to collect scrap metal from abandoned military sites, including remnants of weapons and explosives, to sell.
At the same time, the absence of a comprehensive mine-action program has led civilians to attempt to clear or dismantle explosives themselves, often with fatal consequences.
The UN Mine Action Service, UNMAS, estimates that although a nationwide survey has yet to determine the full scale of contamination, more than 65 percent of Syria’s population, about 15.4 million people, are at risk of encountering explosive remnants of war.
Landmine Monitor 2025 ranked Syria among the world’s most affected countries, alongside Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, with contamination affecting communities, farmland, and infrastructure.
“The need for clearance teams is critical,” Francis said, stressing that while awareness is essential, “it should be accompanied by clearance.”
He echoed Ghonimi’s belief that women are essential to mine-action efforts.
“There is no reason why women should not be part of this program,” he said. “We are all equal and equally capable of doing this job.
“In the past,” he said, “it may have been a missed opportunity or perhaps linked to cultural factors, but that is clearly changing. The candidates we interviewed were of an exceptionally high caliber. We were very fortunate that two women accepted the positions.”
Before the course began, Francis said, he made sure all candidates understood the risks. “Today, they are civilians, and after completing the training, they will also be working in hazardous environments.”
He added: “Both women immediately said they had discussed this decision with their families and felt strongly about helping their communities.
“They spoke about relatives and friends who had been injured or killed due to conflict and unexploded ordnance, and about their desire to give something back.
“This motivation was not limited to the women. Many of the men expressed the same commitment. Some are engineers, others are literature students, but all understood the risks and were willing to take them in order to contribute.”
The initial course focuses on basic search techniques and lasts three weeks. All trainees must also complete a trauma first-aid course tailored to the environments in which they will work. “Everyone must pass both components,” Francis said.
“This training equips them with the essential tools they need, but learning does not stop there. The technical field manager will provide continuous on-the-job training, refresher sessions, and mentorship in the field, gradually building the team’s skills, confidence, and experience.”
Technical field managers are typically seasoned professionals with international experience.
“Many of us come from military engineering backgrounds and have worked in mine action across multiple countries,” Francis said, encouraging the trainees to view mine action as a long-term path.
According to UNMAS, cross-border mine-action partners, including Humanity & Inclusion and other organizations, conducted 1,500 clearance operations from the fall of Assad through to December 2025, disposing of more than 2,000 items of unexploded ordnance.
During the same period, 141 minefields and 450 confirmed hazardous areas were identified in Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, Deir Ezzor and Latakia.
Risk education efforts also expanded, with 930 sessions delivered to about 17,000 people.
Among those raising awareness was Ghonimi, who described the ripple effect of those sessions.
While working in Taftanaz, northeast of Idlib, a participant told her he had seen a neighbor pick up a suspicious object resembling a rolling pin. Because of the training he received, the participant warned the man — who had never attended an awareness session — about the danger, explained safety procedures and advised him whom to notify.
“This incident demonstrated the effectiveness of awareness sessions, as participants actively share and apply the knowledge they gain,” Ghonimi said.
Francis said the organization is preparing to train another demining team in northeast Syria.
“That team will likely include one female deminer and, like this group, will be made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including engineers, teachers, and other professionals,” he said.
In recent weeks there has bee renewed instability in the northern governorates of Aleppo, Raqqa and Hasakah, as well as the eastern governorate of Deir Ezzor. Clashes between interim government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have created new displacement and worsened explosive ordnance contamination.
Although a ceasefire has largely held since an integration agreement was signed on Jan. 30 between the interim government, led by Al-Sharaa, and the SDF, led by Mazloum Abdi, clearance efforts are urgently needed as forces withdraw and residents begin to return.
According to Francis, recurring violence “continues to complicate the situation, forcing some areas that were previously cleared to be re-cleared. This is deeply frustrating and hinders the delivery of humanitarian aid to communities that desperately need it,” he said. “For example, in Tabqa (in the northeast governorate of Raqqa), significant progress had been made last year, but recent developments have reversed much of that work.”
Still, the agreement between the interim government and the SDF offers a measure of hope for stability, and experts say progress is possible.
“Despite these challenges, we remain hopeful,” Francis said. “Demining is not just about removing explosives — it is about restoring safety, enabling aid, and helping communities rebuild their lives.”
