Sudanese Security Forces Deploy Tear Gas to Disperse Protesters, Reports Reuters

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudanese security forces deployed tear gas on Tuesday to disperse a large gathering of lawyers advocating for the release of activists detained during recent anti-government demonstrations, according to witnesses.

The protest, held outside the supreme court in Khartoum, was one of several organized by a variety of professions—such as teachers, doctors, and pharmacists—following a call to action by the Sudanese Professionals Association. This wave of protests began in December.

These demonstrations, often numbering in the hundreds, have unsettled the nation of approximately 40 million people. They were ignited by escalating food prices and cash shortages and have transformed into a movement against President Omar al-Bashir, who has ruled for nearly three decades.

Witnesses reported that more than 200 lawyers attempted to submit a petition to the judiciary’s head, demanding the release of activists arrested during the protests. Security forces responded with tear gas, forcing the lawyers to disperse; thankfully, no casualties were reported.

This incident followed statements from Sudan’s information ministry that the country’s security chief had instructed the release of detained demonstrators. However, there have been no reports of a significant release of detainees.

In another part of central Khartoum, security forces used tear gas to break up gatherings of alumni students at Khartoum University, as well as school teachers who were holding a vigil outside the education ministry. Again, no casualties were reported.

Additionally, doctors at several government hospitals staged protest vigils, but there were no accounts of force being used against them.

President Bashir has shown no inclination to relinquish any power and has attributed the protests to foreign influence, suggesting that his opponents seek power through elections. However, Prime Minister Moataz Moussa adopted a more conciliatory tone last week, acknowledging that the demonstrators’ demands for improved living conditions were "legitimate."

Bashir faces charges from the International Criminal Court for allegedly orchestrating genocide in the Darfur region, which he denies. He has been actively campaigning to have Sudan removed from a list of nations, alongside Syria, Iran, and North Korea, labeled as state sponsors of terrorism by the United States.

According to economists, this designation has hindered the inflow of investment and financial aid that Sudan anticipated following the lifting of U.S. sanctions in 2017.