Thousands of Sudanese protesters rallied outside the army's headquarters and held a sit-in outside Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir's residence in central Khartoum on Sunday, having camped there overnight following the biggest demonstration in months of protests against his 30-year rule, witnesses said. Chanting "Sudan is rising, the army is rising," crowds of men and women massed outside the complex that also houses Bashir's official residence and the defense ministry. "After what we did yesterday, we will not leave this area now until our mission is accomplished," said protester Osama Ahmed, who spent the night outside the compound. "We won't leave this area until he steps down," he said, referring to Bashir. Protesters whistled and waved at military vehicles entering the compound, prompting some soldiers to wave back, a day after demonstrators said they were gathering to ask the army to "come join us". Riot police deployed near the complex Sunday morning, firing tear gas to disperse the crowds. Ahead of the demonstration, organizers had urged the army to either "take the side of the people or the dictator's". Witnesses said groups of women, men and children were walking towards the complex from several parts of the capital. — Agencies Some protesters blocked a nearby bridge linking Khartoum with the northern Bahari district with rocks causing huge traffic jams, onlookers said. Several private companies declared a holiday at their offices, while some arranged to ferry water, snacks and juice to the protesters, according to witnesses. In a separate demonstration on Saturday a protester was killed in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, police said. Officials say 32 people have died since protests erupted in the east African country after a government decision to triple the price of bread. Human Rights Watch has put the death toll to 51 including medics and children. Bashir has acknowledged that the economic concerns raised by protesters are "legitimate", but he imposed emergency rule on February 22 after an initial crackdown failed to rein in the protests. The scale and intensity of protests have shrunk since the emergency rule went into effect. But with Saturday's rally analysts say the protest movement has gained new momentum. — Agencies
