Sudan's al-Burhan bans trade unions activities across country
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Sudan's military prohibits the activity of all trade unions throughout the country after the bodies largely contributed to reporting on the mass demonstrations taking place there.
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Sudan's head of the military, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, speaks during a press conference at the General Command of the Armed Forces in Khartoum, Sudan, on October 26, 2021 (AP Photo)
The head of Sudan's Sovereignty Council and the country's de-facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, issued a nationwide decree on Monday freezing the activity of trade unions, professionals' unions, and the Sudanese Businessmen General Union, the state-run SUNA news agency reported.
As per the decree, al-Burhan decided to establish a commission to form governing bodies for trade union committees and professional federations, the report revealed.
The Sudanese trade unions make the core of the country's civil opposition demanding that the military step down from power
Various Sudanese trade unions form the main core of the country's civil opposition, which is demanding the withdrawal of the military from power after it assumed it a little over a year ago.
The October 25, 2021 coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, saw the military taking over the state two years after Sudan witnessed a military coup in April 2019, sparked by mass protests in the midst of a profound economic crisis and a steep decrease in living conditions.
However, last year's coup curtailed the transition to civilian rule launched after its predecessor coup.
Sudan's coup leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan laid off in July the last civilian members of the Sudanese Sovereign Council after he announced that the council would dissolve to make way for a technocrat government.
Following a meeting with the head of state General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in mid-September, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo said that Sudan's military leaders agreed to civilian political forces naming a prime minister and head of state.
The economic situation is only getting worse, with three-digit inflation and a third of the country's 45 million people suffering from food shortages.
The union of Sudanese doctors has been the main source of information regarding what has been taking place in the country other than the state-run news agency, which could be the reason behind the country shutting down the work of unions.
Sudanese security forces fatally shot a protestor in the capital, Khartoum, medics said on October 23 as the country was only two days away from the anniversary of the military coup that saw Sudan deviating from its path toward civilian rule.
118 demonstrators have died since the demonstrations sprung into action last year, the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors revealed, noting that the death marked the first since August 31.
