Sudan Commences Nationwide Civil Disobedience

By artist Abu’Obayda Mohamed (OXDA) | @abuobaydamoe

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) have called on a nationwide civil disobedience campaign beginning on Sunday, 9 June 2019, which will continue until the Transitional Military Council (TMC) transfers power to a civilian government.

The call for the open-ended nationwide civil disobedience campaign came on 4 June, a day after Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and other government forces began shooting at peaceful protesters in an attempt to disassemble the mass sit-in in Al Qeyada at the headquarters of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which has left at least 100 people dead and over 300 injured. At least 40 bodies were pulled of the Nile River where paramilitary forces disposed of dead bodies. In addition, residents reported rapes and robberies at the hands of paramilitary forces. Others have been arrested, brutally beaten and even urinated on. The ruling council has cut off almost all internet and phone services since the brutal raid, which took place on 3 June 2019 (the 29th day of the holy month of Ramadan).

تجمع المهنيين السودانيين

العصيان المدني الشامل و الإضراب السياسي المفتوح منعاً للفوضى#عيد_شهيد#مجزره_القياده_العامه#العصيان_المدني_الشامل pic.twitter.com/oDewiy14JL

— تجمع المهنيين السودانيين (@AssociationSd) June 5, 2019

On behalf the Alliance of Freedom and Change, SPA released a schedule for the first week of the civil disobedience, which states protesters will continue blocking roads, streets and bridges with barricades, in addition to the nationwide strike. However, government forces firing teargas and live bullets have been reported.

قوى إعلان الحرية والتغيير

الجدول الأسبوعي الثوري

٨ يونيو ٢٠١٩
#مجزره_القياده_العامه#العصيان_المدني_الشامل pic.twitter.com/tMW60Oc43x

— تجمع المهنيين السودانيين (@AssociationSd) June 8, 2019

Local companies and organisations, shops, schools, universities, banks, clinics and more public and private institutions are expected to close as part of the national strike. Videos and images of empty roads and closed shops and  are already appearing on social media.

وها هي بري تلبي العصيان #بري_شارع_المعرض #العصيان_المدني_الشامل pic.twitter.com/wgRjJHgwJ5

— Mawada Barakat (@mawada_dodi) June 9, 2019

Khartoum Jun9 AM as Sudanese people go on countrywide #SudanCivilDisobedience in response 2 #SudanMassacre that killed & maimed 100+, some were thrown in Nile River tied 2 rocks. It’ll end when junta hands over power 2 civilian gov#العصيان_المدني_الشامل#IAmTheSudanRevolution pic.twitter.com/M69fC7BeRN

— Uzaz🌾عُزاز (@3ozaz) June 9, 2019

ثريد حنزل فيه صور العصيان البتوصل اول بي اول
الرجاء التأكيد على الصور لان الزمن لا يسمح بالتوثق منها كلها و اضافة اي صور متوفرة#السودان#العصيان_المدني_الشامل

— Mishal (@OffMishal) June 9, 2019

The teargas is back in Alsha’bia, Khartoum North, as #Sudan goes into #SudanCivilDisobedience today.#SudanUprising #SudanCoup #SudanMassacre #IAmSudanRevolution #مجزرة_القيادة_العامة #يسقط_المجلس_العسكري #العصيان_المدني_الشامل pic.twitter.com/KM5HkzZgEM

— Ashraf (@ashgaaly) June 9, 2019

Halavia almaona Street: live ammunition since 3am and didn’t stop until now#SudanUprising #civildisobedience
#العصيان_المدني_الشامل pic.twitter.com/RAyMhwzkD4

— Maddy Adam 🦋 (@Maddykurdi31) June 9, 2019

The nationwide civil disobedience campaign extends to the Sudanese diaspora as well as SPA called on Sudanese living abroad to refrain from cash transfers to Sudan or visiting Sudanese embassies.

@AssociationSd call on the Sudanese diaspora to observe the public strike by boycotting all Sudanese embassies and refraining from cash transfers to Sudan. A civil disobedience campaign called for by the opposition is set to come into place on June 9th. https://t.co/JZ8ImhzpXs

— Mohanad Humam (@moehash1) June 8, 2019

Protests took place across Khartoum, Omdurman and Khartoum North over the weekend to remind people and bring more awareness to the civil disobedience campaign, and encourage more people to participate.

“اضرب اضرب اضرب خلي حميدتي يهضرب” 🇸🇩✌🏾 من الثورات أمدرمان و اتفرقت بضرب رصاص في الهوى للتفريق و الشباب على خد علمهم مافي إصابات والناس في البيوت #العصيان_المدني_الشامل #مجزره_القياده_العامه #IAmTheSudanRevolution pic.twitter.com/7zvi6Lt2OE

— Hassan Ali (@HasoonAli) June 8, 2019

اركويت طلعت بكثافة شديدة بعد صلاة الجمعة pic.twitter.com/fnoykdskcN

— فريق اول مواطن||Aiman (@justSDN) June 7, 2019

أمدرمان الثورة الان

بكره العصيان ما تبقى جبان#العصيان_المدني_الشامل#مجزره_القياده_العامه pic.twitter.com/PSiCWC9wzD

— A.H17 (@a_hassabo17) June 8, 2019

ما دايرين حركات كيزان
بكرة شنو
بكرة العصيان
سوق الشجرة أمدرمان 11:50 pm
#IAmTheSudanRevolution #العصيان_المدني_الشامل pic.twitter.com/e1Bf5bq1yn

— Husam (@husamalkhair) June 8, 2019

Prior to TMC halting negotiations and facilitating the ‘bloody massacre’, protesters took part in a successful two-day national strike on 28 and 29 May 2019 as a form of civil disobedience to pressure the TMC to continue negotiations and hand over power to a civilian government. Although TMC did not continue negotiations and instead broke the mass sit-in and facilitated the attack on peaceful protesters, the two-day national strike was deemed successful with the participation of at least 90% of the offices, banks, shops, schools, clinics, hospitals and even Khartoum International Airport, according to SPA and the Alliance of Freedom and Change.