KHARTOUM: Protesters opposed to military rule on Saturday reached the vicinity of the presidential palace in the capital of Khartoum for the second time in a week, television images showed, despite heavy tear gas and a communications black out.
A Reuters witness said Sudanese security forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowds on a tenth day of major demonstrations since an Oct. 25 coup.
Protests have continued even after Abdallah Hamdok was reinstated as prime minister last month.
A week ago, demonstrators managed to begin a sit-in at the gates of the palace, but on Saturday they were met with rows of security forces.
Internet services were disrupted in the capital, Khartoum, and locals were unable to make or receive domestic calls on Saturday, the witnesses said, while soldiers and Rapid Support Forces blocked roads leading to bridges linking Khartoum with Omdurman, its sister city across the Nile river.
People still managed to post images on social media showing protests taking place in several other cities including Madani and Atbara.
In neighboring Omdurman, security forces also fired tear gas at protesters around 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) away from a bridge connecting the city to central Khartoum, another Reuters witness said.
The SUNA state news agency reported that the province of Khartoum closed bridges on Friday evening in anticipation of the protests.
“Departing from peacefulness, approaching and infringing on sovereign and strategic sites in central Khartoum is a violation of the laws,” SUNA reported, citing a provincial security coordination committee.
“Chaos and abuses will be dealt with,” it added.
The demonstrators have demanded that the military has no role in government during a transition to free elections
Protesters in Khartoum chanted: “Close the street! Close the bridge! Burhan will come straight to you,” referring to military leader and sovereign council head Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.
They were also heard cheering when security forces fired tear gas, a Reuters witness said.
A senior official at one Internet provider told Reuters the service disruption followed a decision by the National Telecommunication Corporation, which oversees the sector.
UN Special Representative to Sudan Volker Perthes urged Sudanese authorities not to stand in the way of Saturday’s planned demonstrations.
“Freedom of expression is a human right. This includes full access to the Internet. According to international conventions, no one should be arrested for intent to protest peacefully,” Perthes said.
The military could not immediately be reached for comment.
In Darfur, Governor Minni Minnawi asked citizens to stop looting the offices of UNAMID peacekeepers late on Friday, with sources telling Reuters they heard gunshots in the vicinity on Saturday morning.
Last Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people marched to the presidential palace and the security forces fired volleys of tear gas and stun grenades as they dispersed protesters who had been trying to organize a sit-in.
Forty-eight people have been killed in crackdowns on protests since the coup, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said.
Sudan forces fire tear gas as protesters head to presidential palace
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Sudan forces fire tear gas as protesters head to presidential palace
- Security forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowds on a tenth day of major demonstrations since an Oct. 25 coup
- Internet services were disrupted in Khartoum, and locals were unable to make or receive domestic calls
How one displaced family in Gaza is observing Ramadan’s first day under a fragile ceasefire deal
- Al Zamli said the war has deprived him and his family of many things
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: Waleed Al Zamli longingly recalled the joys and traditions of the first day of Ramadan before the Israel-Hamas war had drastically altered his life: Lanterns for the children. Sweets. Special dishes.
“Before the war, we would greet it with happiness,” the father of 11 said, speaking from Muwasi, an area crowded with tents sheltering Palestinians who were forced by the Israeli military offensive to flee their homes.
Not anymore, he said.
It saddens and pains him that he’s unable to provide for his family, which now ekes out an existence in displacement. Al Zamli lost his job after the shop where he had worked was destroyed, he said.
So, for the first Ramadan “iftar,” the fast-breaking meal, his wife picked up meals Wednesday from a charity kitchen that the family has heavily depended on. She made soup to go with it.
“This year, there’s no happiness,” al Zamli said.
Hardships and losses dampen Ramadan’s spirit for many
Ramadan arrived in Gaza under a fragile ceasefire deal, but many Palestinians there say the month’s typically festive spirit is eluding them as they grapple with the hardships of their daily lives and the grief and losses of the war.
Some of these difficulties were on display at the charity kitchen where dozens crowded, many with their arms outstretched as they vied for a spot and held empty pots. They included children, women and elderly people.
During Ramadan, observant Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. It’s a time for increased worship, religious reflection and charity. In normal circumstances, the month often brings families and friends together to break their fast in joyous gatherings.
But circumstances in Gaza are far from normal. Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and caused widespread destruction and displaced most of the territory’s residents. Israel launched the offensive after Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage in their attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
For al Zamli, the biggest challenge this Ramadan is providing food for his family. He said he’s received limited aid. Foods, like meat and poultry, are more expensive than their prewar prices, he said, and with no income many items are beyond his reach.
“The children want to feel happy like other people’s children, to get dressed and to eat something clean and special,” he said.
The financial strain can be especially amplified during Ramadan, he said. Typically, many shoppers throng to markets to stock up on food staples and buy decor and other supplies. Food can play a central role as the daily fasting gives way to nourishing, and for some elaborate, iftar meals. Muslims also eat a predawn meal known as “suhoor” to nurture their bodies ahead of the fast.
As Gaza residents visited markets this week, some lamented how economic woes cast a pall on the month.
Ramadan decorations among the ruins
Still, amid the struggles, some in the Gaza Strip have worked to bring a taste of the month’s festivities — for example, hanging strands of Ramadan decorations among the ruins. At their displacement camp, al Zamli’s children played with empty soda cans fashioned to look like Ramadan lanterns.
The Oct. 10 US-brokered ceasefire deal attempted to halt more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire.
Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing more than 600 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. But it does not distinguish between civilians and militants.
Militants have carried out shooting attacks on Israeli troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Despite some much-needed respite under the shaky ceasefire deal, many daily struggles, big and small, persisted.
Al Zamli said the war has deprived him and his family of many things. A son-in-law, he said, was killed, shortly after he married his now-widowed daughter.
This Ramadan, he will pray “for the bloodshed to end … and to feel security, safety, and tranquility” and “to be able to provide good food and clothes for our children.”
