Atbara, The city of “iron and fire”, is at the heart of Sudan’s railway network and a home to the country’s labour activists, already had a legacy for dissent against rulers before and after Sudan’s independence in 1956.
By Martin Ralph (ISL-UK)
04/29/2019
27 April: This is the best report I have seen on the train from Atbara (in the recent past a train went from Atbara to Khartoum once every three weeks (or not!).
Some workers are being quoted in the press:
“Railway worker Ishag Ali said the idea for a convoy was discussed in railway workshops and voted on by workers, an action reminiscent of the activism that gained Atbara’s workers their reputation in the past. ‘When the train started moving from Atbara, thousands of people joined along the way from the cities of Damar, Shandi and others and even from the villages of Jaili, Fadnia and other outskirts and neighbourhoods of Khartoum city itself,’ he said.”
“Veteran unionist and labour leader Mohammed al-Gitai, 75, told MEE that the city has suffered under Bashir’s “anti-labour” rule, with families traditionally employed by the railway industry, and dependent on it, now finding their children dismissed by the main employer, Sudan Railways Corporation. ‘They don’t like to see and hear the demands of the labourers and this is why they dismissed thousands from the railway and other public institutions because of their privatisation policies,’ he said.”
After putting 3 or 4 items from IWL-FI article, our friends posted this, and they keep on helping to answer questions we send them.
Million Strong March Demand Immediate Civilian Rule
26 April 2019
– Tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets of Khartoum demanding an end to military rule. Among them many had travelled from across the country to take part in the march for civilian rule.
– For the first time a group of Judges, over a hundred, in their official black robes participated in the march, demanding the return to civilian rule and an independent judiciary.
– The massive march was called by the Freedom and Change Alliance, after forcing the resignation of three controversial figures from the ruling Military Transitional Council (MTC). A fourth controversial figure is remaining in the MTC; the deputy leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the Janjaweed militia who are accused of genocide during the Darfour civil war which began in 2003. The four generals are known as staunch supporters of the ousted Albashir and have strong links with the Muslim Brotherhood movement.
– The Political Bureau of the Sudanese Communist Party issued a statement on Thursday 25th April stressing that the MTC is manoeuvring to stay in power and refusing to comply with the main demand of the people: POWER to the representatives of the people. Furthermore, the statement called for immediate civilian government, accountability and retribution. It called on all party members and opposition forces to redouble their efforts and increase their united actions to defeat the manoeuvres and conspiracies of the internal, regional and international enemies of the Sudanese revolution.
– While the million-plus demonstrators occupied the square at the army HQ, several hundreds of protesters demonstrated in front of the Egyptian Embassy against the meddling of the Egypt government in the internal affairs of the country. This action took place after Cairo hosted a meeting of some of the African Union leaders who gave the MTC three months to return civilian rule.
Secretariat of the Central Committee
Sudanese Communist Party
Sudanese revolution rejects aid from Saudi Arabia and UAE – keep your money
Khartoum, Sudan – Sudanese protesters have called on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to “keep their money” a day after Riyadh and Abu Dhabi offered to send Khartoum US$ 3bn aid.
Hours after the oil-rich Gulf states made the announcement on Sunday, demonstrators at the sit-in outside Sudan’s military headquarters in the capital started chanting: “We don’t want Saudi support.”
Singed by December Revolutionaries
Demonstrations in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum
Speech translation
Mr. President of the Arab Republic of Egypt,
Mr. Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Khartoum.
Sudan has a long history of struggle and revolutions to bring dictators down. Sudanese people, the teachers, with an ancient historical civilization are fully aware about the Egyptian dirty roles played by the Egyptian military, represented by the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi.
We are aware of the role of the Egyptian intelligence and its relentless efforts to abort the Sudanese revolution and support military rule in Sudan.
We completely reject all that would prejudice the sovereignty of Sudan. We warn you not to stand against the will of the Sudanese people, who are now progressing forward to establish a civilian state governed by the order of the law, democracy and good governance. And that will bring us to where we are supposed to be.
We have been closely watching the Egyptian experience on January, the great revolution that showed the Egyptian citizens love to their country, but we were saddened when the forces of darkness dedicated to a new dictatorship, and humiliated the Egyptian people.
Revolutions teach tyrants to not to stand against the aspirations and dreams of the people, and our message to Egyptian people is, the wretched in the earth can do something. We are alive, well and our dream didn’t end.
December revolutionaries
Powers of Freedom and Change declaration
Press Clearance
The forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change received an invitation from the president of the military council for a meeting on the evening of 24th, Wednesday, following a series of positions, actions and pledges by the military council with the political committee headed by Omar Zain Abidin.
The forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change decided to respond to the invitation to listen to an open mind of what the president of the military council would propose, and to confirm that our desire is to move to a transitional civil authority that reflects the forces of the revolution. The demands of the revolutionary mass movement are legitimate demands that do not compromise or retreat from it.
The delegation of communication, the commissioner of the forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change, will convey what of the meeting to the sudanese people and the public opinion following the meeting directly, and the steps that will follow us in the way of achieving the demands of the glorious December revolution.
Leaders of Declaration of Freedom and Change
April 24, 2019
