Alaa Salah, the 'Nubian queen' who stood against Bashir

As Sudan continues to push for an end of President Omar Al Bashir’s 30 year rule, a woman seen leading the protests in the country's capital Khartoum has become a symbol of the uprising.

In most of the videos that have gone viral on social media, the 22-year-old woman identified as Alaa Salah is seen singing and conducting crowds. 

One of the ‘iconic’ photos taken by local photographer Lana Haroun in Khartoum on Monday shows her standing atop a car with a sea of protesters keenly listening in, most of them with their smartphones in hand, recording as she passionately delivers her message of ‘revolution’.

"I'm very proud to take part in this revolution and I hope our revolution will achieve its goal," the engineering and architecture student at Sudan International University told AFP.

FEMALE BACKBONE

Dubbed online as "Kandaka" or Nubian queen, she has become a symbol of the protests which she says have traditionally had a female backbone in Sudan.

"If you see Sudan's history, all our queens have led the state. It's part of our heritage," said Ms Salah

Her new-found fame pushed her to set up her own Twitter account in which she thanked everyone "from the bottom of my heart".

"The struggle for a democratic and prosperous Sudan continues," she said.

"HERO"

In another tweet Wednesday she said she "wanted to get on the car and speak to the people... speak against racism and tribalism in all its forms, which affect everyone across all walks of life".

"I wanted to speak on behalf of the youth. I wanted to come out and say that Sudan is for all."

The online community, including those far beyond the boundaries of Sudan, has reacted to Ms Salah’s photo, with many calling her a "hero" and an "icon".

While sharing a video of Ms Salah, Samira Sawlani wrote on Twitter, "Women are at the forefront of the uprising in Sudan. Just look at her. Absolute queen. Crowd are chanting 'revolution'."

Mohamed Hassan wrote, "This image from Sudan will be in the history books" while sharing Ms Salah’s photo on Twitter.

Kenyan Donald Kipkorir, who also shared a photo, wrote, "The unfolding revolution in Sudan against Dictator Omar al-Bashir, 75, that didn’t have a leader has finally found one in a pretty and iconic Alaa Salah, 22 ... History shows the most successful revolutions are led by such angelic leaders."

DEATH THREATS

But late on Wednesday Ms Salah tweeted that she had received "death threats" after her footage went viral.

Still she said, "I will not bow down. My voice can not be suppressed."

Women have made up a large part of the demonstrators who have, since Saturday, thronged outside the sprawling army complex.

Braving regular volleys of tear gas, the crowds have been the biggest yet to rally against President Bashir's rule since unrest broke out late in December 2018.

"In such movements, women are widely participating not only for their rights but for the rights of the entire community... there's no difference between women's rights and community rights," Ms Salah told AFP.

"Women of Sudan always encourage their youths to fight. This is part of the history of Kandaka," she added.

NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN

Ms Salah said she has taken part in the protests since they first erupted on December 19 in response to a government decision to triple the price of bread.

The unrest quickly morphed into a nationwide campaign against Mr Bashir's rule with rallies held across cities, towns and villages. 

The longtime leader has remained defiant and imposed a slew of tough measures including a state of emergency across the country.

Officials say 49 people have died so far in protest related violence since demonstrations erupted across Sudan.