CAIRO: With clashes reported between police and protesters in Sudan over the weekend, and hopes among Sudanese that the demonstrations could be the beginning of a mass movement to oust President Omar al-Bashir's government, the president lashed back at protesters on Sunday. He argued that he remains a “popular” president and that the Arab Spring calls for change will not come to Sudan. Already, in Tunisia, Libya, Yemen and Egypt, mass protest movements have ousted their authoritarian leaders, with Syria and Bahrain continuing their demonstrations calling for the ouster of their leaders. In Sudan, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of the capital, Khartoum. The protests were initially instigated by students in the capital over austerity measures, but have in the past 10 days spread across the country and are gaining steam. “The people who burn the tyres are small in number and they are pushing for a fight,” Bashir told about 1,000 Sudanese students, suggesting that someone was behind protests in his country. Egypt's ousted regime of Hosni Mubarak also used similar language in the early days of the 18 days of protests that led to his removal and eventual jailing in January 2011. Anti-regime demonstrations have widened since Bashir on June 18 announced austerity measures including tax hikes and a phasing out of fuel subsidies to prop up the country's ailing finances. “They said these economic measures would be a chance for an Arab Spring in Sudan. But the Arab Spring in Sudan happened many times already,” he said, referring to previous uprisings by “all” the country's people. In 1964, protests led to a mass mobilisation that toppled the military dictatorship then in power. But Bashir said he himself remains popular. He said he took an “open car” around Khartoum on Friday, when smoke hung over the city from burning tyres, as residents of many neighborhoods clashed with police and denounced the regime and high food prices. “When the people saw me they shouted ‘Allahu akbar',” Bashir said. But protesters remain obstinate and are expected to continue their demonstrations this week, in more action against the government.
