Arthur Greene
As the violent aftermath of Sudan’s coup unfolds, the country’s women are at the forefront of the resistance.
Among those marching in the capital Khartoum last week was a group of women, walking arm-in-arm, shouting chants of, “Give up Burhan, have a country we need to rebuild!”
The chant, reported by the journalist Zaina Erhaim, is aimed at General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who became the country’s head of state after arresting its prime minister and dissolving the government last Monday.
Elsewhere, another woman, who was unarmed, was photographed being badly beaten by a soldier wielding a baton and a riot shield.
Indeed, the large-scale resistance has been met with violence from authorities.
As protestors marched towards the parliament building in the city of Omdurman on Saturday, soldiers unleashed teargas and bullets upon the crowds.
At least three people have been killed and dozens injured amid the unrest.
“This is a fully fledged military coup and we’re resisting all the way,” Mariam al-Mahdi, foreign minister in the dissolved government, told the Financial Times this week.
“Nothing will deter the women of Sudan, who are fighting for democratic transformation.”
Women also led the charge during the country’s last major uprising, which successfully toppled dictator Omar al-Bashir’s oppressive rule.
Alaa Salah became an icon of resistance. Her image was shared across the globe after she climbed on top of a car and recited a revolutionary poem in front of a crowd of thousands.
She was one of the key figures in the country’s successful struggle to usher in a democracy following al-Bashir’s oppressive 30-year rule.
“It’s very dangerous. My life isn’t safe and my home is watched all the time by militiamen,” said Salah this week, after being forced to go into hiding.
Many fear that the new regime will reverse many of the leaps forward made in women’s rights since al-Bashir’s downfall.
Image source: Financial Times
