Sudanese civilians commemorated the April 6 anniversary, which overthrew the regimes of Jaafar Nimeiri (1985) and Omar al-Bashir (2019), through “online demonstrations” on social media platforms and across the internet, during which they called for an end to the war and a return to civilian democratic rule.
On the ground, activists and coordination groups linked to the Resistance Committees circulated mobilization messages and symbolic documentation of the anniversary.
April 6 represents a historic and decisive day in the memory of the Sudanese people, as it ended the rule of former President Jaafar Nimeiri (1969–1985), who was overthrown in a popular uprising on that day in April 1985. History repeated itself in 2019 when hundreds of thousands of Sudanese marched toward the General Command of the army in central Khartoum and staged a sit-in until the removal of former President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country from 1989 to 2019.
April 6, 2019, marked a turning point in the consciousness of the Sudanese people and remains alive in their hearts. Revolutionary momentum reached its peak on that day. While Sudanese men and women inside the country were carefully organizing to ensure the day’s success, others abroad were watching closely and doing their best to support their fellow revolutionaries until the revolution achieved its first goals.
Resistance despite war
Speaking about this historic day, Al-Waleed Al-Hadi, a member of the media committee of the Rabak Resistance Committees, told Mashawir:
“April 6 remains a historic day written in letters of light in the memory of the Sudanese people, as it succeeded in toppling two of the most powerful dictatorships in Africa.”
He added:
“It is a day every revolutionary is proud of, aspiring toward a bright future for this country based on freedom, peace, and justice.”
Al-Hadi explained that despite the current war, the will of the Sudanese people will prevail, and that the course of history does not move backward regardless of the tragic circumstances.
He continued:
“We will resist until we establish the authority of the people. The conditions of armed conflict will only increase our strength and determination. We renew our commitment to our people to continue the path until the full goals of the revolution are achieved, the war is stopped, and work continues toward building a civilian democratic state based on freedom, peace, and justice.”
The flame of the revolution will not be extinguished
In the same context, Abu Al-Qasim Fadl Al-Sayed, a member of the Resistance Committees within the Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces “Sumoud,” stated that:
“April 6 is an immortal day in the memory of our people. It carries meanings of heroism, resilience, and revolution, and recalls the image of Sudanese masses who, on this day, twice uprooted two of the harshest dictatorships Sudan has known, in 1985 and 2019, proving to the world that the will of the people cannot be defeated and that the voice of the masses is stronger than all tools of oppression and tyranny.”
He added:
“This year’s April 6 comes while our country is going through its harshest conditions, with war raging, the social fabric torn apart, suffering increasing, and the risk of state collapse and division growing. However, we in the Resistance Committees believe that the flame of the revolution has not and will not be extinguished, and that the spirit of April 6 still flows through our streets and in the hearts of its sons and daughters who refuse to surrender to war or return to eras of oppression and injustice, despite attempts by the former regime to hijack Sudan’s present and future.”
He continued:
“On this great anniversary, we reaffirm that there is no alternative but to immediately stop the war and agree on a comprehensive political solution that ends the suffering of our people, establishes a just peace, and leads to a genuine democratic transition. There is no path for Sudan except through building a civilian democratic state based on equal citizenship, justice, and respect for human rights.”
He also emphasized that all civilian and democratic forces must unite, overcome differences, and work together to save the country and restore the path and goals of the revolution.
Sacrifice and determination
In the same context, the Democratic Unionist Gathering Party commemorated April 6, recalling the sacrifices of Sudanese people in overthrowing dictatorships.
In a statement, the party said:
“This day remains immortal in the conscience of the Sudanese people and has always been a symbol of popular will and victory over dictatorships. On this day in 1985, our great people launched their glorious uprising that toppled the authoritarian May regime, proving that peoples are capable of breaking chains and shaping the future.”
The statement added:
“The same meanings were renewed on April 6, 2019, when masses headed toward the General Command, announcing the start of a historic sit-in that embodied Sudanese unity and paved the way for the fall of the Salvation regime. This day became a bridge between the April 1985 uprising and the December Revolution, and a renewed symbol of popular struggle.”
However, the statement noted that forces of the former regime did not surrender to the will of the people but continued to conspire against the December Revolution, culminating in the October 25 coup in an attempt to steal the sacrifices of the masses and return the country to authoritarian rule.
It further stated that this destructive path reached its peak with the outbreak of the April 15, 2023 war, which tore the country apart, displaced millions, destroyed infrastructure, and plunged Sudan into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, where services collapsed and suffering worsened, with citizens paying daily the price of a conflict that serves only the ambitions of power.
The statement concluded:
“We reaffirm our commitment to continue the path until all the goals of the revolution are achieved, to immediately stop this cursed war, and to work toward building a civilian democratic state based on freedom, peace, and justice.”
