Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir dismissed calls for him to step down and hand over the power to the military, reiterating that the army’s mission is to protect the homeland, not the traitors. Addressing soldiers at the final drill of the 55th military festival at a military base near Atbara, the President asserted his pledge to make the Armed Forces a deterrent force for anyone who thinks of attacking Sudan. "We have no problem because the army does not move to support traitors, but moves to support the homeland and its achievements," Bashir said. He renewed his call for his opponents to cooperate and rebuild the country. He lauded the bravery of the army, saying that it has succeeded in deterring all enemies’ schemes, reported Sudan’s official news agency SUNA. Meanwhile, angry protests intensified with thousands of people marching in the eastern city of al-Qadarif. Protesters handed a memorandum to the state parliament calling the President to step down, which makes Qadarif the first city to issue such a memorandum to official authorities since protests broke out in Sudanese cities. Security forces blocked and broke up demonstrations using live ammunition as well as teargas and stun grenades, witnesses say. According to witnesses, the security authorities in the state launched a campaign of preemptive arrests of activists, followed by another arrest campaign during the demonstrations backed by the Sudanese Professionals Association, social forces, civil and political opposition in the state. Omdurman city is also expected to witness a huge march organized by the Association to the Sudanese parliament to hand over a memorandum asking President Bashir to step down. Meanwhile, loyalists and allies of the ruling National Congress Party called for a gathering in one of Khartoum’s square in support of President Bashir. In this regard, Troika countries urged Sudan to release political detainees and rights activists arrested during the recent protests and warned that Khartoum actions would impact their engagements with the Sudanese government. In a statement issued Tuesday, Troika countries, including UK, Norway, and the US, expressed their deep concerns about the use of violence and detention without charges of political opponents and protesters. "We are appalled by reports of deaths and serious injury to those exercising their legitimate right to protest, as well as reports of the use of live ammunition against protestors," read the statement. The statement emphasized the right of the Sudanese people to “protest peacefully and in accordance with the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association, and expression.” They called on the government to immediately release journalists, opposition leaders, human rights activists, and other protesters now held in detention. Troika warned that the actions of the government of Sudan over the coming weeks “will have an impact on the engagement of our governments and others in the coming months and years.” The statement concluded by urging Sudan to implement the necessary political reforms, to allow the Sudanese people to exercise their constitutional rights to peacefully express their political, economic and social views freely and without any fear of retaliation or persecution.