US embassy urges nationals to avoid protest sites in Sudan

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The US Embassy in Sudan on Friday advised its nationals to avoid areas expected to witness protests on Saturday.

"Demonstrations are expected to take place on December 25 in Khartoum and potentially in other states," the embassy said in a circular posted on Twitter.

It encouraged personnel and US nationals to "avoid non-essential travel, avoid crowds and demonstration, and to exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests."

On Thursday, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) made a public call to take part in a rally on Saturday to demand the "establishment of a full civilian authority."

On Oct. 25, the military in the North African country dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency amid accusations and differences between politicians and the armed forces.

Hamdok, however, was reinstated on Nov. 21 under an agreement with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Sudanese army chief, in a move that aimed to resolve a political crisis that threatened to undermine Sudan's transition to democracy.

Before the military takeover, Sudan was administered by a sovereign council of military and civilian officials overseeing the transition period until elections in 2023 as part of a precarious power-sharing pact between the military and the Forces of Freedom and Change coalition.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara