Sudan’s Sufis sing and dance in defence of sit-in protest

Sudanese followers of the mystical Islamic Sufi tradition marched on Monday (April 29) to join a sit-in outside the defence ministry complex in Khartoum where protesters have kept up pressure on the Transitional Military Council since April 6.

Protesters played drums, danced and sang on the streets outside the defence ministry building, waving large flags in a colourful march.

The march came as Sudan’s military rulers and an opposition alliance met to discuss the powers of a joint military-civilian council to steer the country’s transition after three decades of rule by Omar al-Bashir.

The two sides had been due to talk about the make-up of the proposed body, but military officers who toppled Bashir on April 11 focussed the discussions instead on the future council’s functions and powers, sources said.

Monday’s meeting was held at the presidential palace on the banks of the Blue Nile in Khartoum, a short distance from the sit-in.