A general strike called for by the forces of the Alliance for Freedom and Change was launched in Sudan yesterday to pressure the transitional military junta to hand over power to civilians. The coalition said the chances of a strike were great and the military council's options to respond to the strike were "losing bets."

The leader of the forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change, Abbas Abbas, announced yesterday at the headquarters of the General Command in the capital Khartoum that the strike will begin in all institutions of the public and private sectors.

Abbas stressed at the same time that they have not yet reached the stage of civil disobedience, adding: «We did not announce the suspension of negotiations with the military council or stop it completely».

He stressed their adherence to a sovereignty council composed of the civilian majority, saying that the Sudanese revolution has demands that will not deviate from it, represented in the return of power to civilians.

For its part, sources from the "Association of Professionals" confirmed that the strike, which is scheduled to continue until tomorrow, "started in all institutions of public and private sectors."

"We will go together for the option of a strike as an inevitable necessity to achieve the objectives of the revolution," wrote the assembly, one of the components of the forces of "freedom and change" that leads the popular movement in Sudan, at the expense of Twitter. To stop the Council's experiences in testing the will of the people ».

According to the "Sudanese Professionals" group, large sectors have announced the strike, including doctors and pharmacists, civil aviation, banks, central bank employees and university professors.

The assembly said the strike would exclude vital sectors that affect the lives and safety of citizens, such as emergency departments in hospitals, internal transportation, electricity and water, in recognition of the situation in the country.

He called on Abbas, the military council to recognize and absorb the revolutionary nature of the current movement, and stop using the threat language. "The chances of a strike are high, and the threat of sanctions of any kind against the strikers or the protesters is not useful," Madani said. "It is helpful to tackle the crisis by speeding the transfer of power to a civilian administration."

He described the military council's suggestion that early elections could be held to hand over power to civilians representing the people as "tantamount to waving the declaration of war against the masses and the Sudanese revolution."

Mohammad Naji al-Asam, a leader of the "group of professionals", one of the components of the forces of "freedom and change", said that the strike was well prepared and the views of several public and private sectors were questioned.

Hundreds of passengers at Khartoum International Airport, as well as the main bus station in the capital, were suspended after many employees joined the strike. Employees in government offices and private companies also stopped working.

At Khartoum airport, dozens of employees chanted "civil rule, civil rule." Other staff carried signs or put badges that read, "I'm a racket."

Sudanese airlines Badr, Tarco and Nova suspended flights yesterday, but some international flights remained on arrival and departure lists.

Passengers at Khartoum's main passenger terminal also commented on the participation of hundreds of employees in the strike.

In Port Sudan, the vital economic port, many employees joined the strike. "We want a civilian judgment to get rid of corruption in Port Sudan," said Othman Taher, an employee on the wharf.

The vice-president of the junta, Mohammad Hamdan Daklu, known as «Hamidati», yesterday accused countries and forces of «engineering» sedition in the country, and seek to divide between the armed forces and the forces of freedom.

However, he pointed out that the military council would not close the door to negotiations with the protesters, but sought to involve the other parties in the civil authority. He pledged that the Council would only hand over to the Sudan safe hands.

"They do not want us as partners, but in an honorable position," he said.

Hundreds of passengers were stuck in

Khartoum International Airport

As well as in the station

The main buses in

Capital, following accession

Many staff

To strike.