Sudan Opposition Vows More Protests After Some Detainees Freed

SUDAN (Capital Markets in Africa) – A Sudanese opposition group vowed to keep up its demonstrations against President Omar al-Bashir’s government, describing the release of some detained protesters as an attempt to buy time.

About 162 people who’d been arrested during six weeks of protests have been released by the orders of the National Intelligence and Security Services, state-run Sudan TV reported early Wednesday. The Sudanese Professionals Association, an outlawed umbrella group of unions, said authorities are still making arrests and urged people to continue demonstrating.

Unrest in the North African nation sparked by soaring living costs is posing one of the biggest challenges to al-Bashir since he seized power in a 1989 coup. A government committee said Tuesday that 30 people had died since Dec. 19, while Amnesty International has put the toll at more than 40.

Authorities said this month that 816 people had been arrested and would be charged with offenses including looting and destroying property. The professionals association said in a statement that many people remain in custody

Source: Bloomberg Business News