El-Azhary supporters arrested in Sudan

Sudanese authorities have intercepted a protest march and arrested several people heading towards the house of historic Sudanese leader Ismail el-Azhary, the first Prime Minister of Sudan. His daughter, Galaa Ismail el-Azhary, told Arabstoday that the demonstrators were trying to visit el-Azhary’s tomb and are used to celebrating the memory of Sudanese independence in this way. She added that the march included a number of leaders from the Democratic Unionist Party and the Unionist Movement, established by el-Azhary. She denied knowledge of chanting against the ruling regime, but admitted that the activists wanted the government to adopt her father's principles. She said that the Sudanese authorities have imprisoned several participants involved in last year's event. She blamed the government's "wrong economic policies" as the main reason behind the protests. She added that the current economic crisis could destabilise the country, expressing her support for overthrowing the ruling regime through the legal ways. Meanwhile, Rabie Abdel-Aty, a member of el-Motammer Party accused protest organisers of promoting their own special agendas, regardless of the national interest. He expressed his appreciation for the role that el-Azhary played, demanding those who mark his memory to use the event to build the country.