FIVE protesters were killed on Saturday as huge crowds defied gunfire and tear gas in Sudan's capital Khartoum and other cities to demonstrate against a military takeover, witnesses and medics said.
The protests came two days after army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced a new ruling council that excludes the civilian coalition the military had been sharing power with since 2019, hardening opposition among pro-democracy groups to the Oct. 25 coup.
In a sign authorities may be stepping up efforts to quash a campaign of planned protests and civil disobedience, security forces moved to disperse protesters as soon as they began to gather in the early afternoon. They fired tear gas and chased demonstrators down side streets to prevent them reaching central meeting points, witnesses said.
Previously, security forces had waited until later in the day before moving in.
"People were surprised that they fired the tear gas so early," said one protester in Omdurman across the Nile from central Khartoum, adding that demonstrators retreated, barricaded streets, and then reassembled.
Most protesters dispersed of their own accord around sunset, though tear gas and gunfire continued until around 8 p.m. in Khartoum North as security forces arrested protesters and removed their barricades, witnesses said.
Witnesses estimated the numbers around Khartoum to be in the tens of thousands, with large crowds in other cities bringing the total nationwide to hundreds of thousands.
"The revolutionaries have nothing but peacefulness and are calling for democracy and bringing back civilian rule which was taken away by Burhan," said Mohamed Hamed, a protester in Khartoum who held up the cases of two of the bullets he said were being used against protesters.
In Wad Madani, south-east of Khartoum, protesters chanted "Down, down with military rule", a witness told Reuters. Protesters in other cities, including Al Gadarif and Kosti, were also met with tear gas, witnesses said.
'HOSPITAL STORMED'
The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, which is aligned with the protest movement, said demonstrations in Khartoum were "facing excessive repression using all forms of force including live bullets".
In Khartoum and its twin cities of Omdurman and Khartoum North four people were killed by live fire and one after suffocating from tear gas, the committee said. It said access to hospitals was difficult and that security forces had stormed Al Arbaeen hospital in Omdurman, beating medical staff and arresting injured protesters.
A medic at Khartoum's Royal Care hospital told Reuters it had received one fatality and 29 wounded, including some with serious injuries.
"People should not stop, I was beaten but I have to go back to protest tomorrow," said one of the wounded demonstrators, declining to be named. "It's good that I'm alive but I wanted to be a martyr. I said goodbye before I left home."
Sudanese police said they did not use firearms during the protests, which they said began peacefully but went off track. They said 39 policemen were injured and stations were attacked, triggering arrests.
A military spokesman suggested the protests had failed. Burhan has previously said peaceful protests are allowed and the military does not kill protesters.
The military takeover upended a transition towards democracy that began after the uprising that toppled autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. Security forces detained senior officials appointed under a power-sharing arrangement between the military and civilian groups. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was placed under house arrest.
On Saturday, protesters carried pictures of Hamdok, now a symbol of resistance to military rule, while chanting against Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
INTERNET CUT
Mobile internet services have remained cut in Sudan since the coup, despite a court order to restore them, complicating efforts by the protest movement.
Local resistance committees had used flyers and organised smaller neighbourhood protests in recent days.
Despite widespread opposition from Sudan's political parties and pressure from Western powers that backed the transition, Burhan has pushed to consolidate the military's position https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudans-military-rulers-draw-bashir-era-veterans-tighten-grip-2021-11-11. He has denied staging a coup, saying the army moved to correct the transition and accusing civilian groups of inciting unrest.
Malik Agar, one of three former rebel leaders named in the Sovereign Council, whose position on the military takeover had been unclear, told Sky News Arabia on Saturday that he considered it a coup which faced "many challenges".
Western states and the World Bank have suspended economic assistance designed to help pull Sudan out of decades of isolation and a deep economic crisis.
The United States and other Western powers expressed grave concern at Burhan's appointment of the Sovereign Council.
The U.S. mission in Khartoum said: "The U.S. Embassy deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries of dozens of Sudanese citizens demonstrating today for freedom and democracy, and condemns the excessive use of force."
Reuters
Sun Nov 14 2021
Demonstrators march in Omduram, Sudan November 13, 2021, in this screen grab obtained from a video. - RASD SUDAN NETWORK/via REUTERS
AWANI Ringkas: Menteri Besar Perlis beri keterangan kepada SPRM
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Lelaki bunuh kekasih terlepas hukuman gantung, ganti jel 30 tahun
Seorang penyelenggara stor yang membunuh teman wanitanya dengan menjerut leher menggunakan kain tudung terselamat daripada tali gantung.
Empat lelaki ditahan bantu siasatan kes gaduh di kuil
Kes disiasat mengikut Seksyen 148 Kanun Keseksaan dan usaha mengesan suspek lain sedang giat dijalankan.
Pencarum perlu upskill dan reskill untuk tingkatkan jumlah wang persaraan - Pakar
Beliau berkongsi pandangan dalam program Niaga AWANI pada Selasa. Antara lain, beliau menasihatkan agar pencarum tingkatkan juga literasi kewangan.
[TERKINI] SPRM sahkan MB Perlis diambil keterangan
Menteri Besar Perlis, Mohd Shukri Ramli hadir memberi keterangan di Ibu Pejabat SPRM di Putrajaya bagi membantu siasatan kes melibatkan anak lelakinya.
Biotoksin masih tinggi, penternak diminta jangan jual kupang - Jabatan Perikanan
Ujian makmal turut mendapati sampel air dan kupang di perairan tersebut dicemari alga spesies 'Alexandrium' yang berbahaya kepada manusia.
Bintang 'Spider-Man' Tom Holland zahir hasrat kahwini aktres Zendaya
Bintang Spider-Man itu dikatakan sudah berbincang dengan Zendaya untuk berkahwin.
Kertas siasatan 10 individu berkait lelaki Israel dirujuk AGC minggu ini - KP KL
Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa berkata, perbincangan akan diadakan bagi membuat keputusan terhadap tindakan lanjut yang akan dikenakan terhadap suspek terlibat.
Raja Charles III kembali jalani tugas awam selepas rawatan kanser
Raja Britain, Raja Charles III kembali menjalankan tugas awam selepas kesan positif rawatan kansernya.
LHDN pergiat ‘buru’ syarikat, individu culas bayar cukai
Ujar beliau, LHDN sentiasa memantau data-data sedia ada untuk tindakan sewajarnya.
Pertempuran sengit meletus di Khartoum menjelang Aidiladha
Pertempuran sengit meletus antara Tentera Sudan dan pasukan separa tentera Rapid Support Forces (RSF) di Khartoum ibu negara Sudan pada Selasa, menjelang Aidiladha.
50 rakyat Filipina tinggalkan Sudan melalui jalan darat
Sebuah bas yang membawa kira-kira 50 rakyat Filipina telah pun meninggalkan Khartoum, ibu negara Sudan, menuju ke utara dekat dengan sempadan Mesir.
Switzerland tutup kedutaan di Khartoum, petugas dipindahkan
Switzerland telah pun menutup operasi kedutaan di Khartoum atas faktor keselamatan dan pertempuran bersenjata yang berlarutan di Sudan.
Konflik Sudan: AS, Perancis mula pindahkan petugas kedutaan
Ia berikutan pertempuran yang berterusan antara Angkatan Tentera Sudan dan pasukan separa tentera Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Konflik Sudan: Thailand sedang buat persiapan untuk pindahkan rakyatnya
Thailand sedang membuat persiapan termasuk bekerjasama dengan kedutaan dan organisasi antarabangsa yang berkaitan mengenai kemungkinan untuk memindahkan rakyat Thailand yang berada di Sudan.
Petronas sahkan semua kakitangan di Sudan selamat
Kenyataan pada Ahad itu juga memaklumkan kakitangan kumpulan Petronas selamat di kediaman masing-masing atau berada di luar negara.
Singa terlalu kurus di Khartoum, pasukan Four Paws tiba beri bantuan
Beberapa keping foto yang menunjukkan beberapa ekor singa dalam keadaan terlalu kurus tular di media sosial sehingga mencetuskan kemarahan.
5 perkara anda perlu tahu tentang krisis politik di Sudan
Omar dijangka dihadapkan ke mahkamah minggu hadapan atas tuduhan salah guna kuasa, rasuah serta pemilikan mata wang asing.
Terserah pelajar mahu pulang atau tidak, kata Duta Malaysia ke Sudan
Keadaan di Khartoum setakat ini masih terkawal namun pihak keduataan bimbang situasi akan lebih buruk dalam tempoh singkat.