Junior officers are sympathetic to protesters, source says

Almost every night since the Khartoum sit-in began on Saturday, pro-Bashir security forces have tried to disperse protesters by force.

This led to gunfights with soldiers deployed on the ground who ended up protecting the protesters.

The support displayed by soldiers has confused many activists, who questioned whether the troops were acting individually or obeying commands to side with the protesters.

Even by Wednesday, the army's position was not clear, and a military spokesman said troops were willing to break up the protests. However, a military source told MEE, on condition of anonymity, that junior officers played a big role in the army's reluctance to crack down on the sit-in.

"The junior army officers actually had a complementary role of supporting the Sudanese Revolution," the source said.

He added that there are ongoing attempts by pro-government militias to break up the movement within the military that's sympathetic to protesters.