FILE - In this July 9, 2018 file photo, Sudan's President Omar Bashir attends a ceremony for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the President...
FILE - In this July 9, 2018 file photo, Sudan's President Omar Bashir attends a ceremony for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey. Bashir is one of the Middle East’s longest ruling leaders and has crushed two previous bouts of protests in recent years. He may do so yet again, but the eruption in December 2018 of protests in his country point to fraying in support by those who have helped keep his grip on power. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2018 file photo, Sudan's President Omar Bashir, center, greets dignitaries as he arrives at the airport in Juba, South Sudan. ...
FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2018 file photo, Sudan's President Omar Bashir, center, greets dignitaries as he arrives at the airport in Juba, South Sudan. On Tuesday, Dec. 25, Bashir fended off a march by opponents on his presidential palace in the capital Khartoum, unleashing brutal force by his security forces in hopes of putting an end to an Arab Spring-style uprising. But nearly a week of protests has pointed to the weaknesses threatening his 29-year hold on power. (AP Photo/Bullen Chol, File)
FILE - In this March 19, 2018 file photo, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, left, shakes hands with Sudan's President Omar Bashir at Cairo Air...
FILE - In this March 19, 2018 file photo, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, left, shakes hands with Sudan's President Omar Bashir at Cairo Airport, in Cairo, Egypt. Bashir is one of the Middle East’s longest ruling leaders and has crushed two previous bouts of protests in recent years. He may do so yet again, but the eruption in December 2018 of protests in his country point to fraying in support by those who have helped keep his grip on power. (Mohammed Samaha/MENA via AP, File)
CAIRO (AP) — Sudan's Omar Bashir fended off a march by opponents on his presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum, unleashing his security forces in hopes of putting an end to an Arab Spring-style uprising. But nearly a week of protests has pointed to the weaknesses threatening his 29-year hold on power.
Despite the heavy hand of police, who have reportedly killed at least 37 protesters, Bashir's response has been feeble. He left the capital ahead of Tuesday's march on his palace, and he has been fumbling and vague in addressing the economic crisis that prompted the outburst of anger.
Perhaps most alarming for Bashir, an Islamist who came to power in a 1989 military coup, the powerful military and security agencies have only voiced half-hearted support for him amid the turmoil.
