Kassala, an eastern Sudanese city near the Eritrean border, has been rocked by widespread protests following the death of 25-year-old Al-Amin Mohamed Nur in the custody of the SAF leader al-Burhan’s General Intelligence Service (GIS).
Nur’s death, attributed to torture shortly after his arrest last Friday, has provoked intense public outrage and demands for accountability.
Protesters took to the streets, blocking major roads and staging a sit-in at the public prosecutor’s office, demanding a thorough investigation and justice for Nur.
Local authorities responded with tear gas and live ammunition fired into the air, though no injuries were reported.
The surge of public anger marks a rare moment of mass protest in Sudan’s SAF-controlled areas, which have been plagued by extrajudicial arrests, disappearances, and killings since last year’s civil war.
The scale of the response in Kassala echoes the protests of 2018-19 that briefly toppled Sudan’s military regime, highlighting ongoing distrust towards the security services tied to the ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir.
The unrest also underscores ethnic tensions between Kassala’s Ben Amer tribe and the central Sudanese, who dominate the security apparatus. Initially, authorities refused to release Nur’s body to his family. However, due to mounting pressure, five GIS officers were reportedly arrested and the body was eventually handed over.
The incident has drawn condemnation from various political factions. The Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) issued a strong statement condemning the torture and death, linking it to the abuses committed during the Islamist regime’s 30-year rule.
The SCP denounced the al-Burhan’s “coup authority” in Port Sudan for targeting civilians and suppressing anti-war voices, calling for an end to such violations.
Similarly, the National Umma Party (NUP) criticized the security forces’ history of abuse and demanded justice for Nur. The NUP’s statement urged international intervention to address the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators and emphasized the need for safeguarding civil liberties.
The controversy comes amid the enactment of a new GIS Law, which grants broad powers and legal immunities to intelligence officers. Critics argue this law, amended in May, may exacerbate violence and human rights abuses.
Under the new provisions, GIS personnel can collect information, conduct interrogations, and detain suspects with sweeping immunity, leading to concerns about a return to repressive practices from the Bashir era.
Wajdi Saleh, a prominent anti-war figure and former head of the National Salvation Dissolution Committee, also condemned the GIS law and its implications. He emphasized the unity of the Sudanese people in their demand for justice and retribution for victims of violence.
As Kassala continues to grapple with these issues, the situation remains tense, with calls for accountability and reform resonating across Sudan.
