Despite Bashir's warning .. Protests and burning of facilities in central Sudan

Ahmed Fadl-Khartoum

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Protestors, mostly schoolchildren, burned government facilities in the Huda district, northwest of the town of al-Manaqal in central Sudan's island state, despite Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's assertion that sabotage, destruction and theft were deepening the economic problem.

According to sources who spoke to al-Jazeera Net from the town of Huda, protests for secondary school students were able to come out on Sunday morning to denounce the cost.

The protests were accompanied by incineration of the prosecutor's office, the administrative unit building, the education office, the accurate stores of one of the merchants and the sabotage of the market, a bank and pharmacies, resulting in police intervention using tear gas.

The same sources were likely to enter the center of the students and carry out sabotage and burning.

Since December 19, the Sudanese government has been facing the largest and worst protests since President Bashir took office in June 1989.

Peace procession
In al-Abid, the capital of North Kordofan province, 588 km west of Khartoum, al-Hurriya Square has been cordoned off in the center of the city since early morning by the security forces to prevent the organization of a peaceful procession aimed at reaching the government secretariat.

The gathering of Sudanese professionals is expected to organize a peaceful parade, the second of its kind on Monday afternoon, from the Qandoul roundabout to the presidential palace to demand once again Bashir's departure.

Last Tuesday, a convoy called for rallying thousands to hand over a memorandum to the palace demanding the resignation of the president and the formation of a transitional government, but security forces prevented the use of tear gas, batons and rubber bullets.

Since the last procession, four-wheel drive vehicles with Dushka guns have been parked on the roads leading to the palace and close to banks.

Meeting and Warnings
These developments come as President al-Bashir held a meeting on Sunday with high ranks in the police force, the third meeting of its kind since the outbreak of protests, where he had previously held similar meetings with the security leadership and the army.

"There is subversive action and I will not allow Sudan to be a refugee, we are sheltering the refugees and we will not allow the refugees to flee," he said.

He warned that the government will not overstate the security of citizens and facilities and will not be the target of killing citizens, saying that security is an expensive commodity.

"The responsibility of the police is great and we are satisfied with its performance," he said.

He acknowledged that the Sudan is experiencing an economic problem, justified by the embargo for 20 years, and increased "are keen to develop treatments and overcome the problems, and thanksgiving We will get out of this crisis, despite the nose of everyone who wants the Sudan to bow and submission."

Bashir, who has ruled Sudan for nearly 30 years, said the power was not exclusive to one party, and the national dialogue he launched in January 2014 "is a model that others are asking to apply in their own countries."