On the impact of various disagreements over the government Mass demonstrations in Sudan and about 40 injured in confrontations with the police

Protest against prospect of military rule in Khartoum

The Sudanese Ministry of Health announced that 35 people were injured during demonstrations today, Thursday, in Khartoum to demand the handover of power to a civilian government, while Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that a meeting is being held between the President of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, regarding developments in the country.

The Sudan Doctors Committee reported that 36 protesters were injured as security forces dispersed the protests that took place in various states of the country, including 4 with live bullets, and said that the regular forces used force, bullets and tear gas against "innocents".

Ahead of Thursday's "millions", the Sudanese street is divided between two camps, and the army closes all roads to its headquarters

At a time when the official authorities did not provide details about the identities of the injured, the police announced that two of its employees were injured by protesters in the city of Omdurman, west of Khartoum.

Police said a small group of protesters "deviated" from peacefulness and attacked security forces in front of Parliament.

On the other hand, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, Minister of Industry, a leader in the Alliance of Forces of Freedom and Change, the Central Council group, demanded the President of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, to hand over power to the civilian component immediately.

Al-Sheikh said in a statement to Al-Jazeera that what happened in the city of Omdurman, in terms of injuries due to the process of dispersing the demonstrations, is not far from the total plan to cause a security breach, as he put it.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister said, in a speech marking the 21st of October, that the demonstrators today have proven their commitment to peace and democratic transformation. He renewed his pledge to complete the institutions of the transitional government, stressing that he will not retreat from the goals of the revolution.

AJ News correspondent in Khartoum stated that large numbers of demonstrators marched on Africa Street, in the center of the capital, in response to calls to celebrate the anniversary of the popular October revolution.

In their chants, the demonstrators demanded the departure of Al-Burhan and his deputy, Muhammad Hamdan Hemedti, and Khartoum and other cities witnessed a demonstration called by the Central Council of the Forces for Freedom and Change to support Hamdok's government.

The security forces closed the roads leading to government headquarters and major markets.

Video clips circulating showed the participation of a number of ministers of the transitional government in the Khartoum demonstrations in support of the democratic transition. The clips show the participation of Minister of Cabinet Affairs Khaled Omar, Minister of Industry Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, and Minister of Transport Mirghani Musa.

Commenting on today's events, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said that people have the right to demonstrate freely and peacefully in Sudan.

Republican Palace sit-in

Meanwhile, supporters of the Forces of Freedom and Change Alliance - the National Charter Group continue their sit-in in front of the Republican Palace in Khartoum, for the sixth day in a row.

The protesters are calling for expanding the base of participation in the transitional period, commitment to implementing the provisions of the constitutional document, dissolving the current government, forming a government of competencies, and speeding up the formation of the transitional authority structures.

AJ News correspondent Ahmed Al-Raheed indicated that the Republican Palace sit-in received delegations from several regions today to participate in its activities and support its demands.

He said that the protesters are demanding the dissolution of Hamdok's government, and are calling for the completion of state institutions such as the Legislative Council, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Judicial Council, and the Supreme Council of the Public Prosecution. They accuse what they describe as the group of four of hijacking the revolution, and of excluding the others.

The reporter added that the protesters reject the accusations of allying with the remnants of the "defunct" regime and stress the need to open the transitional period for the various political and social components, with the exception of Al-Bashir's party.

He pointed out that they also advocate the participation of various Sudanese in drafting and writing the constitution.

Demands and slogans

Al-Jazeera correspondent Al-Taher Al-Mardi said that the firing of gas bombs is still going on until this moment, amid an increase in the number of wounded. He pointed out that large crowds supporting civilian rule, and rejecting any kind of military coup, took to the streets in several areas of the capital.

The demonstrators refuse to dissolve the government - according to what the reporter says - and see that any such decision represents part of a conspiracy between the military component and some "remnants of the former regime" to bring down the revolution.

The reporter said that they raised slogans calling for the formation of an immediate legislative council that can achieve the goals of the revolution, and the formation of an international investigation committee in the case of the sit-in dispersal, and also demanded the protection of the "dismantling of the regime" committee.

The demonstrators - according to the reporter - see that the sit-in in front of the palace is an attempt to abort the revolution and confront the civil movement, and that some of them demanded the dissolution of the partnership with the military component.

In another development, Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim said that some mandates were received by the demonstrators.

For its part, the Professionals Association said that the attack on the peaceful processions is a blatant declaration by the current authority of its hostility to the revolution and revolutionaries, stressing that there is no retreat from the streets until the handover of power.

These demonstrations come on the anniversary of the revolution that toppled the first military government in the country in 1964. Various political forces have called for a protest on this day, to express different political demands.

Demonstrations in other cities

Coinciding with the Khartoum demonstrations, large numbers of demonstrators gathered in Freedom Square in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, in the west of the country.

The demonstrators demanded the civil judgment, and the extradition of those wanted by the International Criminal Court for trial at its headquarters in The Hague.

It also raised slogans supporting civilian rule. Various political forces called for the day to come out to express different political demands.

The Darfur region also witnessed demonstrations demanding the handover of power in the country to the civilian component.

The demonstrators chanted slogans warning against undermining civilian rule, and against a military coup against power. These demonstrations come within the framework of the so-called "October 21 Million to Support Civil Transition".

In the city of Port Sudan, in the north-east of the country, processions took place in which groups of revolutionary forces participated, in response to the call of the Central Council, to demand the civil state and the completion of the transitional authority institutions.

The Beja Optical Council and the Independent Amaudiya organized a demonstration in front of the southern port gate in Port Sudan, in the northeast of the country.

The demonstrators renewed their demands to cancel the eastern path of Sudan in the Juba negotiations, dissolve the government, and form a non-partisan government of competencies.

An invitation to demonstrate and a desire to make the transition a success

Yesterday, the Association of Professionals called - in a statement - on all sectors to actively participate in the million processions (demonstrations) today.

The statement stressed the need for an integrated democratic transformation because "the people are tired of the chain of individual rule."

Prior to the demonstrations, members of the army closed the streets with concrete barriers and barbed wire to prevent any possible entry of demonstrators to the vicinity of the General Command.

Armored military vehicles, along with dozens of heavily armed soldiers, were also deployed in the streets leading to the army headquarters.

On the other hand, the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council said that the armed forces and the civilian component are keen to make the transitional period a success, leading to the formation of an elected civilian government that meets the aspirations of the people.

Al-Burhan stressed, during his meeting in Khartoum with the Minister of African Affairs of the British Foreign Office Vicki Ford, the commitment to the constitutional document, and the preservation of the partnership between the military and civilian components.

The mechanism of the Prime Minister's initiative to resolve the crisis confirmed the continuation of the revolution by rallying the masses around its slogans to complete the democratic transition.

In a statement, she expressed her hope that the people would continue the struggle and their legitimate aspirations in building the national state, and called on the police forces to play their role in securing the demonstrations scheduled for today.