Military-aligned protesters gather outside Sudan's presidential palace

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Military-aligned protesters gather outside Sudan's presidential palace

Military-aligned demonstrators gathered in numbers, in front of the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, Sudan, October 16th, 2021, chant Down with the government of hunger. KHARTOUM, Oct. 18 Reuters - A sit-in calling on the military to dissolve Sudan's government on Monday grew into the thousands, with the country grappling with what its civilian leadership has called the biggest crisis of a two-year - old transition from autocracy.

Protesters, including many who arrived by bus from outside Khartoum, were assembled by a coalition of civilian political groups and rebel parties aligned themselves with Sudan’s military, which has accused rebel political parties of mismanagement and monopolising power.

The civilians have shared power with military in the Sudan's transitional authority since the demonetisation of President Omar Al Bashir in 2019 after three decades in power.

Civilian leaders accuse Bashir loyalists of seeking to execute a coup, in a war of words that began after a coup attempt in late September by Calis.

We want the politicians to solve this problem and we want Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to dissolve the government, said Mohamed Abdallah, a 58-year-old man who had arrived from south Darfur.

The sit-in, outside the usually civilian gates of the Presidential Palace, began on Saturday after a demonstration against the off-limits government. By Sunday the crowd had returned to hundreds, but by Monday afternoon the numbers had reduced to around 2,000 + 3,000.

They set up tents at the intersection of two main arterials with a stage for speakers who called for the overthrow of the Transitional Government.

Soldiers guarded the gates of presidential palace. There was little police presence except when protesters were blocked from marching at the nearby Cabinet Ministry.

SUNA held an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday, state news agency Hamdok reported. He described the situation on Friday as the worst crisis of the transition and most dangerous.

Pro-civilian political parties are planning their own protest on Thursday, the anniversary of a 1964 revolution.

Meanwhile, a blocking of the second port in the East of the country entered its main month. Tribesmen blocking the port have similarly demanded that the overhaul of civilian government be made easier.