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Thousands of Sudanese protest blasphemous cartoons

KHARTOUM: Around 10,000 angry Sudanese marched through Khartoum on Wednesday, carrying banners and shouting slogans against a Denmark newspaper which had published blasphemous cartoons.

Organised by a number of Islamist movements, the rapidly swelling crowd demanded diplomatic ties with Denmark be severed and voiced support for a boycott of Danish produce.

University students, school pupils and men dressed in traditional white robes and turbans as well as Western dress, marched from Khartoum University shouting “Bin Laden strike again”.

Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan during the 1990s. Carrying banners scrawled with slogans such as “We all sacrifice our lives for the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)” and “cut Danish produce”, the crowd arrived in a festive mood, dancing to live music and drum beats, before turning angry.

Western embassies urged foreign nationals to steer clear of the rally. On Monday, Sudan’s trade ministry declared a national boycott of Danish produce on the orders of President Omar al-Beshir with importers instructed not to buy further products from the Scandinavian country.

Last Friday, several hundred Sudanese demonstrated in the capital calling for an end to diplomatic relations with Denmark and a trade boycott. reuters

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