Affrontements à Omdourman, El-Obeid et Khartoum- 30 janvier 2011

Sudan police clash with anti-regime protesters

AFP

By Simon Martelli

30 01 2011

KHARTOUM — Students clashed with police in north Sudan on Sunday as youths heeded calls to take to the streets for a day of nationwide anti-government protests, despite a heavy security presence on the ground.

The demonstrations, which coincided with the announcement of preliminary results in south Sudan’s landmark independence referendum and a sixth day of revolt in neighbouring Egypt, saw dozens of people arrested in the capital and the sacking of Khartoum University’s director.

At the Islamic University of Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city, around 1,000 demonstrators were confronted by riot police as they marched, shouting slogans criticising President Omar al-Bashir, an AFP reporter saw.

« Ocampo, what you have said is right! » they chanted, referring to the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who has accused Bashir of genocide and war crimes in Darfur.

Clashes broke out, with protesters hurling rocks at police who retaliated with tear gas and batons.

Student members of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) joined the police in some of the clashes, a witness said.

In the northern city of El-Obeid, around 600 kilometres (370 miles) west of Khartoum, riot police again used tear gas to disperse a large group of demonstrators.

About 600 people protested peacefully in the city centre, shouting against the government and the NCP and calling for change, one witness said. Read More..

Informations

Omdourman (ou Omdurman) est la plus grande ville du Soudan, située en face de la capitale Khartoum sur le Nil. Elle comptait 1,2 million d’habitants en 1993. Elle forme avec Khartoum et Bahri le centre culturel et industriel du pays.

El Obeid (en arabe : الأبيض al-Ubayyid) est une ville du centre du Soudan. Elle est la capitale de l’État du Nord-Kordofan. Sa population est estimée à plus de 420 000 habitants en 2007^[1].