Sudanese protesters set for mass rallies on 6 Apri

Sudanese pro-democracy protesters are gearing up to mark on 6 April the third anniversary of a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum that ultimately led to former President Omar al-Bashir being ousted.

Activists hope the planned mass demonstrations of Wednesday will weaken the grip of the military. They have dubbed them “earthquake demonstrations.”

But the authorities appear to be taking measures to restrict the movement of the crowds.

The military HQ has been fenced off with a five-metre high parameter wall and two bridges on the Blue Nile have been blocked by freight containers to traffic.

Several other bridges are expected to be closed on the day. Activists say that a telecom and internet black out are also expected.

In other measures, the authorities have announced the closure of schools on Wednesday, in the hope this will deter young people from taking part in the rallies.

Local media report that the recently sanctioned Central Reserve Force, CSF, locally known as Abu Tayra, have been given cash bonuses incentivising them to manage the expected protests. Some reports suggest up to 20,000 CSF personnel would be deployed.

Since the military coup in late October, more than 90 protesters have been killed and more than 4,000 have been injured.

BBC/Shakirat Sadiq