Thousands of protesters rallied in Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Sunday to demand an end to military rule after a CNN investigation accused Sudan’s military leadership of being “thief soldiers”. The investigation, based on multiple interviews with high-level Sudanese and US officials and a trove of documents reviewed by CNN, painted a picture of an elaborate multi-year Russian plan to plunder Sudan’s wealth in an effort to embolden Russia against increasingly powerful Western sanctions and Moscow’s support. war effort in Ukraine. Evidence uncovered by CNN also suggests that Russia has colluded with Sudan’s military leadership, allowing billions of dollars in gold to bypass the Sudanese state and depriving the poverty-stricken nation of hundreds of millions in government revenue. Clashes broke out on Sunday after hundreds of protesters tried to head to the Republican Palace — Sudan’s presidential offices — but were met by police, who responded by firing tear gas at the protesters. The video shows protesters chanting slogans against the army, which overthrew a transitional civilian government in 2021, dealing a devastating blow to Sudan’s pro-democracy movement that toppled President Omar al-Bashir two years earlier. Authorities closed the main Mek Nimr Bridge, which connects central Khartoum with North Khartoum. On Friday, Sudanese pro-democracy groups, including the influential “Revolutionary Committees”, had called for a “march of millions” the next day. Evidence seen by CNN also suggests Russia colluded with Sudan’s beleaguered military leadership, allowing billions of dollars in gold to bypass the Sudanese state and deprive the poverty-stricken country of hundreds of millions in government revenue. The investigation was widely publicized in Sudan and caused a public outcry. Hours after the report aired, posts began circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms used by pro-democracy activists. “The investigation conducted by CNN is extremely important to us. It looked at the critical issue of conflict over resources, especially important in a poor country like Sudan,” Mohamed Al-Faqi Suleiman, a prominent Sudanese pro-democracy and former active, the head of the anti-corruption political committee told CNN. “This is a result of the political authority’s lack of control over the security services, especially the police and security services, and therefore we have not been able to impose our control on the smuggling process,” Suleiman said. On Saturday, the head of Sudan’s national mining company Mubarak Ardol criticized the survey on Twitter, calling it “weak and inaccurate” and its numbers “exaggerated and imaginary”. CNN reached out to Sudan’s military leaders, but did not hear back.
