An internet shutdown has been issued across the country, making it almost impossible for Sudanese people to communicate the unfolding atrocities on the ground. This is as good a time as any to break our silence
Paula Akpan
@paulaakpan
The Independent Voices
Over the last week, people have been using the likes of Twitter and Instagram to shine a light on the political crisis currently taking place in Sudan. Despite an internet blackout across the North African country, many are using hashtags like #IAmTheSudanRevolution and #SudanUprising as a vehicle to post updates on the situation, signal support for protestors and raise awareness in the face of silence from the global community.
The nation has seen brutal violence at the hands of paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including reports of dead protestors thrown in the Nile to mask the number of casualties, reports of rape and sexual violence, and the flogging of demonstrators. The ongoing siege was sparked by a morning attack on pro-democracy protesters who formed a peaceful sit-in outside military headquarters in Khartoum on Monday 3 June.
The RSF – also known as Janjaweed – is led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (commonly referred to as “Hemedti”), who is the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) – the governing body that has been in charge of Sudan since dictator Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the military in April after months of rallies. Despite demonstrators’ calls for an immediate move to civilian rule, the military have maintained that Sudan will have a transitional government led by the TMC, leading to protests around Sudan – such as the fateful sit-in that saw state forces open fire on unarmed protestors last week.
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Categories: Africa, North Africa, Sudan