Rally, trade unions and bodies .. Stars of the revolutions of Sudan

The union of professionals, a trade union alliance, emerged during the revolution that overthrew the regime of President Omar al-Bashir, recalling two similar entities that had played a prominent role in two earlier revolutions witnessed by Sudan in April 1985 and October 1964.

In a sign of this connection, the movement in Sudan moved on April 6 to the General Command of the Army to hand over a memorandum calling for Bashir to step down. The convoy was later transformed into a sit-in that led to the army's bias towards the street and the fall of the regime.

The choice of this date was not coincidental, in which the Sudanese revolted against the regime of former President Jaafar Nimeiri in 1985, who ruled the country for 16 years, when the army sided with the people and the regime fell.

The Sudanese view the October and April revolutions as a revolutionary approach that expresses their desire for and attachment to democracy, not only as a fair system of government but also as a means to realize their humanity as individuals who inherited freedom of opinion and ignorance from their nomadic backgrounds.

Trade union assembly
Just like the night before yesterday, just as the protests that led to the fall of al-Bashir on 19 December began spontaneously, an uprising against Jaafar Nimeiri's rule began in March 1985, a spontaneous gift from the street.

The trade union movement, which had been formed a short while ago as a result of an initiative by the professors of the University of Khartoum, came at a time when demonstrations against the Nimeiri regime were escalating, starting with the Islamic University and the Institute of Technological Colleges on March 26, March 1985.

Doctors carried out a strike in Khartoum on 30 March, and on 1 April representatives of professional trade unions agreed to enter into a political strike on 3 April. Doctors marched in protest to the Republican Palace, and 30 unions joined the rally. On April 5, a unified command of the revolution was formed from unions and parties.

The assembly was completed on 6 April at the University of Khartoum professors 'house, which was attended by lawyers, engineers, bankers, public insurers and the University of Khartoum Students' Union, amid strikes by the professional sectors and mass demonstrations.

Front bodies
The revolution of October 1964 was the culmination of a general movement organized by the Sudanese street against the rule of President Ibrahim Abboud, who seized power in a coup on 17 November 1958, a movement in which almost all Sudanese political forces took part, Which was launched from the University of Khartoum to demand freedom and democracy after the escalation of military rule of the situation in southern Sudan and the expulsion of foreign priests.

Following the killing of student Ahmed al-Qurashi by police at the University of Khartoum on October 21, 1964, the unions formed the front of bodies of professors of the University of Khartoum, the Bar Association, doctors, engineers, workers' union, farmers and others to lead the movement against military rule using the weapon of political strike and civil disobedience From the overthrow of the military government, through good organization and demonstration and stop the movement of work and to paralyze the country.

Pool professionals
It was as if history was repeating itself. Just as the professional unions of the October 1964 revolution agreed to present a memorandum to President Abboud calling on him to step down, crowds gathered from all over the capital at the invitation of a gathering of professionals led by professionals and leaders of political parties on 25 December 2018 Presidential order to hand over a memorandum to the presidency demanding Bashir to step down.

From the current events that are reminiscent of the October Revolution, the bias of army and police officers to the demonstrators, before the army completely sided with the street.

If the previous popular revolutions were based on the strength of the trade union movement at the height of its power and the organized political movement in the major cities of Sudan, especially the capital of Khartoum, the current revolution broke out the seed of protests in Atbara, and then extended to the capital and other cities of Sudan.

The Sudanese have turned to the gathering of Sudanese professionals, who have won the confidence of activists and demonstrators to decide to demonstrate at his request, even though they do not know that his leadership did not appear for security reasons.

Break the ring
The gathering of professionals was established in 2013 after the country's protests in September of that year, but the official announcement was made in August 2018, with its members and bodies blacklisted for security reasons.

Sudan has more than 100 political parties between opponents and government loyalists, none of whom was the main driver of the street during the protests that lasted more than four months. For three decades, Bashir succeeded in suppressing the voices of the opposition or dispersing its symbols. Of breaking the ring to lead protests against the regime.

The "Professional Gathering" began with eight organizations, notably the Alliance of Democratic Lawyers, the Sudanese Journalists Network, the Central Physicians Committee, the Sudanese Teachers 'Committee, and the Veterinarians' Committee.

The "pool of professionals" does not have a single political color. Its leaders belong to different political and intellectual backgrounds.