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A major demonstration against the recent military coup led by the Commander-in-chief of the Sudanese armed forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, took place in Khartoum on October 30th. Three protesters were killed and dozens injured during the recent protests.
All of three protesters killed on October 30 were shot dead in the city of Omdurman. One of them was shot in the head, another in the stomach, and third third in the chest, the National Committee of Doctors reported.
Sudanese police denied shooting the protesters, saying on state TV that one policeman sustained gunshot wounds.
Several thousand demonstrators gathered in the Sudanese capital Khartoum for a rally demanding that the new military authorities restore civilian rule in the country. They marched through the capital and major cities, chanting: “The power of the military cannot be glorified” and “This is our country, our government is civilian.”
In response to the protests, Sudanese armed soldiers, as well as the Rapid Support Forces, paramilitary forces operated by the Sudanese Government, which played a significant role in the recent coup, were deployed in the center of Khartoum. Security forces blocked the main roads leading to the Ministry of Defense and the capital’s airport, as well as bridges connecting Khartoum with neighboring cities of Omdurman and North Khartoum.
Groups of protesters erected barricades on the roads in several districts of the city.
Since the beginning of the week, the Internet has been almost cut off in the country, so activists used messages and leaflets to coordinate the protests. The protesters’ main groups on social media are reportedly coordinated from Egypt, the UAE, France or UK.
This week, thousands of Sudanese protested General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s removal of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s cabinet on October 25, with at least 13 people killed by security forces. The military takeover triggered a deadly crackdown against protesters and led the West to freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.