This archive report was first published on 21 October 2019.
On October 21, 2019, thousands of Sudanese took to the streets in several cities, including the capital Khartoum, to call for the dissolution of the former ruling party of ousted Islamist leader Omar al-Bashir.
The rallies, organized by the Forces of Freedom and Change umbrella protest movement, also marked the 55th anniversary of the October 21, 1964 uprising that had ousted the then military leader Ibrahim Abboud.
Carrying banners that read "Dissolve the National Congress Party", the demonstrators expressed their support for the new authorities tasked with overseeing Sudan's transition to a civilian rule.
The protest movement, which had led to Bashir's ouster in April, also demanded "justice for the martyrs" killed during the months-long uprising.
While some Islamist groups had called for similar gatherings, no major rally was reported in Khartoum, according to witnesses.
Bashir and his Islamist National Congress Party had ruled Sudan for three decades since 1989, when he came to power in an Islamist-backed coup.
Protests against his government had erupted in December 2018, quickly turning into a nationwide movement against him that finally led to his ouster.
The protest movement claims that more than 250 people were killed in the uprising, while officials have given a lower death toll.
Bashir is currently being held in a prison in Khartoum and is on trial on charges of corruption, along with several other officials and senior party members.
