Sadiq al-Mahdi, former premier and now a protest organizer against President Omar al-Bashir
Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to
ArabizeDarfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it.
’s government, said the attacks had been carried out every morning since the sit-in began on April 6.
"There are gunnies in masks attacking people at the sit-in every morning," Mahdi, chief of the opposition National Umma Party, told news hounds in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum.
"This has left 20 deaders."
Sudan’s Interior Minister Bushara Juma said on Monday that seven protesters died, including six in the state of Khartoum, when security forces dispersed anti-government protests held on April 6.
Officials say 38 people have died so far in protest related violence since demonstrations erupted across Sudan December.
Thousands of protesters have massed outside the army headqurters for a fourth straight day, demanding that the military's top brass back them in demanding Bashir’s resignation.
The demonstration is the latest in nearly four months of anti-government protests that have plunged Sudan into its worst crisis in years. What initially erupted late last year as rallies against a spiraling economy quickly escalated into calls for an end to President Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year rule.
On Monday for the first time, leaders of the protests called on the military’s leadership to abandon al-Bashir and join their call for change. And on Tuesday, they invited military leaders to meet with their representatives to "discuss arrangements for a transition" in Sudan.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, Norway, the UK and the US backed the protesters’ demands, urging Sudanese authorities to "deliver a credible plan" for political transition.
"Failing to do so risks causing greater instability. The Sudanese leadership has a grave responsibility to avoid such an outcome," they said.
Sarah Abdel-Jaleel, spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association, said the new festivities erupted early on Tuesday between security forces and protesters who have been camping out in front of the military complex in Khartoum for the past four days.