Sudan's youth activists battle restraints and apathy

An official carries a ballot box at the end of elections in Khartoum, Sudan, April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - When the Arab Spring uprisings burst out four years ago, Bedreldin Mohamed believed that, finally, many of his Sudanese countrymen would join him in calling for an alternative to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, now in his 25th year in power.

But this week, with national elections looking likely to re-elect Bashir after security forces cracked down on protest movements, opposition parties and the media, the 25-year-old activist's optimism has faded.