Sudanese security forces arrested at least 12 opposition leaders ahead of
a planned protest against the regime of Sudanese President Omar al-
Bashir, an opposition member.
A senior member of the NUP, Um-Salama al-Mahdi said Among those
arrested were the Deputy Leader of the National Umma Party,NUP,
Mariam al-Mahdi; NUP Secretary-General, Sara Naqdallah; the Political
Secretary of the Communist Party, Mohamed al-Khatib .
The arrests were made minutes before the start of a planned anti-
government demonstration in the capital Khartoum, according to al-
Mahdi.
The 12 opposition leaders were planning to lead a protest march to the
presidential palace to submit a memo demanding President al-Bashir
step down when they were arrested, he said.
He said when making the arrests, security forces and riot police fired
tear gas at a crowd of hundreds of demonstrators, who had gathered near
the Arab Market area in Khartoum.
The East African nation has seen ongoing protests for several weeks,
since a sharp hike in bread and fuel prices caused public outcry.
