The social media has become the main means for youth activists in Sudan. Women have come to play a prominent role in the recent protests against the government policies. According to the activists, the Sudanese will be able to topple the current regime by next April.

“Through Twitter, Facebook, and Whatsapp, we managed to attract attention to our actions in the country,” a youth activist told this station on Sunday.

“We have managed to break the barrier of fear in a free space that cannot be reached by bullets or tear gas.”

Several youths confirmed in a Radio Dabanga vox pop this weekend that the social media has much facilitated the coordination of the three-day civil disobedience action in the Sudanese capital on 27-29 November.

“As social media has been a great source for basic information during the anti-austerity demonstrations in September-October 2013, we used it to coordinate the civil disobedience action in end November. And we are now using it for our call for a nationwide civil strike on 19 December,” one of them said.

“Non-affiliated youth represent the silent majority of the activists.”

Last month, the youths began to call for a civil disobedience action in protest against the implementation of a series of austerity measures in the country. As a result of the measures that according to President Al Bashir were needed “to avoid the collapse of the country”, the prices of fuel and imported commodities such as medicines began to soar in an unprecedented way.

After limited streets protests by (women) students and activists against the price hikes, the social media calls for civil disobedience actions attracted the attention. Opposition forces in the country immediately expressed their support for the calls.

The authorities reacted by detaining a large number of politicians and curbing the freedom of the traditional news outlets. A spokesman of the opposition told this station on 6 December that about 40 politicians and activists are being held in detention centres of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Khartoum. NISS agents confiscated 16 print-runs in one week in end November. An independent TV channel was closed and another one received a warning.

Women, non-affiliated activists

“In addition to the use of social media, it is also new that women play a large role in the demonstrations, the coordination of the protests, and raising awareness among the people,” said an activist who declined to tell his name.