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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Khartoum - Mohammed Amin Yassin

Civil Disobedience Grips Capital of Al Jazirah in Sudan

Pavement tiles lie on the street as demonstrators attend a protest in Khartoum, Sudan, January 20, 2022. (Reuters)

Wad Madani, the capital of Sudan's Al Jazirah state, declared civil disobedience and a complete political strike in wake of the killing of protesters during rallies against the October 25 military coup.

Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that protesters blocked all routes into the city, effectively cutting it off from the control of the state.

Meeting calls by resistance committees and political parties to hold a strike, the main market in the city and stores and businesses were shut and people stayed at home, bringing life to a standstill.

The sources said the city is in a state of mourning amid mounting anger over the violence against the protesters.

One protester, Qassem Mohammed, was shot and killed by security agencies, said statements from the Unified Office of Sudanese Doctors

On Tuesday, thousands turned out for his funeral, with mourners chanting condemnations against the military leadership that carried out the October coup and the use of excessive force against peaceful rallies.

The streets were even barricaded, bringing life to a halt.

Resistance committee and activists on social media put up posts in defiance of top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Others posted dozens of photos of the closed shops in Wad Madani.

Some officials from the local government have resigned in protest against the violence against demonstrators.

Schools were also suspended indefinitely.

Witnesses told Asharq Al-Awsat that all neighborhoods have been barricaded with rocks and burning tires to stop the security forces from going deep in the city.

The security forces were not deterred and they threw tear gas at houses and arrested local activists, they revealed.

They warned, however, that anger is mounting among the people over the death of the peaceful demonstrators.

The Wad Madani resistance committee accused authorities of recruiting a gang and sending them to the protests to attack public institutions to sabotage the peaceful rallies.

Protests have swept Sudanese cities in the past three months in wake of the military coup. At least 74 protesters have been killed by security forces opening live fire and tear gas at the rallies.

Thousands have been wounded and dozens arrested.

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