Protests in Sudan this summer fizzled out after a harsh security crackdown jailed many activists and forced others to flee the country. This week, we have seen a fresh outbreak of protests, prompted by the deaths of four Darfuri students, allegedly at the hands of Sudanese security forces.
So what, if anything, is different this time?
Trouble began last week at Gezira University, south of Khartoum, where Darfuri students had been protesting for several days against the university's decision to charge them tuition fees. According to the Abuja and Doha agreements, Darfuri students are exempt from paying such fees. Students affiliated with the ruling Nation Congress Party (NCP), and reportedly heavily armed, clashed with the protesting students and the security services were also called in.
On Friday December 7th, it was reported the bodies of 3 students who had taken part in the protests had been found. A fourth was reported on the Sunday. The bodies were found in an on-campus canal. According to students, many of them had fled through the shallow canal, reportedly about 1 metre deep. As so many students had fled in many directions, it was not immediately realised the students were missing. Students found it hard to believe their friends had drowned in such shallow water, as authorities claimed. They accused the authorities of beating the students to death and dumping their bodies. They protested at the hospital where the students bodies were taken to, demanding an autopsy.
Their claims are not illogical. Sudanese security services are notorious for harassing, beating and torturing peaceful protesters, activists and journalists. They also have well established records of using sexual violence as a weapon and ghost houses to torture opponents of the regime.
Protests and Clashes in Khartoum
A ceremony to honour the dead students was held at the University of Khartoum on Sunday, where the initial protests were sparked in the summer. In anticipation of protests, authorities blocked nearly all exits from the campus. Only about 500 of the few thousand present managed to get out before the police started throwing tear gas. Protesters apparently set two city buses on fire and dozens were arrested.
As protests spread to Tuesday, students were driven from dorms at the Omdurman Islamic University before the dorms were set on fire and burnt to the ground. A number of Darfuri students were also stabbed during clashes on the same day between protesters and NCP supporters and security services.
Where is this going?
It's hard to say. There won't be an Arab Spring in Sudan. Any regime change will be difficult, slow and hard fought. Even then, the lack of a credible opposition makes it difficult to see political change on the immediate horizon.
However, activists in Sudan have demonstrated their commitment to regime change. What many of them have gone through- the constant harassment, beatings, rape, torture- is unbelievable. And still they continue in their efforts to overthrow Bashir's regime. Also, these protests differ slightly from the ones we saw this summer, as they did not stem initially from protests aimed at the ruling NCP party. Though at the moment, it appears to be mostly students involved in the protests, in the summer we saw people from many sectors of society supporting the students in their efforts. Hopefully, we will see the same now, but on an even larger scale.
There's no conclusion here. We'll just have to see what the next few days and weeks bring.
Want to know more? Check out the student-led movement Girfina's website. On Twitter, follow @superMojok who has been tweeting info from the ground and also @mimzicalmimz, a journalist and activist who was prominent in this summers protests. Although she is not currently in Sudan, she tweets a lot of relaible info from her own sources.
So what, if anything, is different this time?
Trouble began last week at Gezira University, south of Khartoum, where Darfuri students had been protesting for several days against the university's decision to charge them tuition fees. According to the Abuja and Doha agreements, Darfuri students are exempt from paying such fees. Students affiliated with the ruling Nation Congress Party (NCP), and reportedly heavily armed, clashed with the protesting students and the security services were also called in.
On Friday December 7th, it was reported the bodies of 3 students who had taken part in the protests had been found. A fourth was reported on the Sunday. The bodies were found in an on-campus canal. According to students, many of them had fled through the shallow canal, reportedly about 1 metre deep. As so many students had fled in many directions, it was not immediately realised the students were missing. Students found it hard to believe their friends had drowned in such shallow water, as authorities claimed. They accused the authorities of beating the students to death and dumping their bodies. They protested at the hospital where the students bodies were taken to, demanding an autopsy.
Their claims are not illogical. Sudanese security services are notorious for harassing, beating and torturing peaceful protesters, activists and journalists. They also have well established records of using sexual violence as a weapon and ghost houses to torture opponents of the regime.
Protests and Clashes in Khartoum
A ceremony to honour the dead students was held at the University of Khartoum on Sunday, where the initial protests were sparked in the summer. In anticipation of protests, authorities blocked nearly all exits from the campus. Only about 500 of the few thousand present managed to get out before the police started throwing tear gas. Protesters apparently set two city buses on fire and dozens were arrested.
As protests spread to Tuesday, students were driven from dorms at the Omdurman Islamic University before the dorms were set on fire and burnt to the ground. A number of Darfuri students were also stabbed during clashes on the same day between protesters and NCP supporters and security services.
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| Students protesting in Khartoum on Tuesday (Girifna Media) |
Where is this going?
It's hard to say. There won't be an Arab Spring in Sudan. Any regime change will be difficult, slow and hard fought. Even then, the lack of a credible opposition makes it difficult to see political change on the immediate horizon.
However, activists in Sudan have demonstrated their commitment to regime change. What many of them have gone through- the constant harassment, beatings, rape, torture- is unbelievable. And still they continue in their efforts to overthrow Bashir's regime. Also, these protests differ slightly from the ones we saw this summer, as they did not stem initially from protests aimed at the ruling NCP party. Though at the moment, it appears to be mostly students involved in the protests, in the summer we saw people from many sectors of society supporting the students in their efforts. Hopefully, we will see the same now, but on an even larger scale.
There's no conclusion here. We'll just have to see what the next few days and weeks bring.
Want to know more? Check out the student-led movement Girfina's website. On Twitter, follow @superMojok who has been tweeting info from the ground and also @mimzicalmimz, a journalist and activist who was prominent in this summers protests. Although she is not currently in Sudan, she tweets a lot of relaible info from her own sources.
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