Opposition and protest groups had called for workers to stay at home after security forces stormed a protest camp on June 3, killing dozens and dealing a blow to hopes of a peaceful transition after the overthrow of president Omar al-Bashir in April.
In the capital Khartoum, public transport was barely functioning and most commercial banks, private companies and markets were shut, though some state banks and public utility offices were open. Some residents also expressed support for the civil disobedience campaign, as last week's deadly dispersal made them fear for their lives and property.
But the Director of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Health Mohamed al-Tom condemned the road blockage, saying that it prevented patients from getting to health facilities on time, causing medical complications.
In response, a leader in the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces, Khaled Omar, emphasised the importance of the barricades, saying that it protects citizens from recent attacks by members of the security forces.
On Sunday (June 9) in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum, 20-year-old Ayman Osama died after being shot in the chest at a road barricade, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said on social media, accusing a paramilitary force of killing him. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had no immediate comment.
Following last Monday's raid, TMC head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan scrapped all agreements with the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), an opposition alliance, and called for elections within nine months. The opposition rejected the plans.
The raid came after weeks of wrangling between the TMC, which took over from Bashir, and the DFCF over who should steer a transition leading to elections.
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