Military coup in Sudan: dead and injured on the day of the resistance

During protests against the military coup in Sudan, three people were shot dead by security forces. The democracy movement had called for a day of resistance that many joined.

According to the independent Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, mass protests by the democracy movement in Sudan against the military rulers resulted in deaths and injuries. At least three civilians died in the city of Omdurman from gunfire by militiamen. The medical panel announced via Twitter that the dead had gunshot wounds in the head and stomach area.

Protesters were also shot at with live ammunition in the capital, Khartoum. More than 100 people were injured as a result of the violence or tear gas.

“No, no to military rule”

Despite a large military force, thousands of people took to the streets against the military coup less than a week ago. The democracy movement had proclaimed a National Day of Resistance. In many parts of the capital region, including the neighboring cities of Omdurman and Northern Khartoum, people followed the call. Protests have also been reported from the eastern state of Kassala. According to the dpa news agency, eyewitnesses reported that the population was very involved.

In Khartoum, the military had blocked important crossroads and most of the bridges that connect the capital with neighboring cities. The Internet and telephone connections were largely paralyzed, reported the AFP news agency. Protesters chanted slogans like “No, no to military rule” and “We are free revolutionaries,” reported AFP. Protesters also set fire to car tires in the east of the capital.

Angry protests every day

The military had previously taken power in the north-east African country, triggering international protests and outrage. In the past few days there had been repeated angry protests from thousands of people in Sudan. According to doctors, eleven people have now been killed in confrontations with security forces.

Many protesters see the leadership of the neighboring Arab states as the mastermind behind the military coup. Since they ruled autocratically themselves, they wanted to prevent the democratization of Sudan. Both the United Nations and the European Union urged the military to exercise restraint.

The US demanded that the Sudanese military respect the right to peaceful protests. Like states in the EU, you have condemned the coup. They are demanding the reinstatement of Prime Minister Abdullah Hamduk and his interim cabinet.

The military imposes a state of emergency

Soldiers had arrested the civilian members of the transitional government after weeks of tensions between supporters of military rule and supporters of a civilian government. Hamduk has been under house arrest since then.

Sudan’s new military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, wants to appoint a new head of government within a week. So far he has headed a transitional government together with the disempowered Prime Minister Hamduk. After the coup he announced its dissolution. He also imposed a state of emergency.

Joint transitional government

In April 2019, long-term ruler Omar al-Bashir was driven out of office after months of mass protests and a military coup. The military, led by al-Burhan, and the civilian opposition initially agreed in a constitutional agreement on a joint transitional government that would pave the way for elections in 2022. Accordingly, al-Burhan should have withdrawn from the transitional government by the end of the year and make room for a civilian representative.

The civilian government was planning extensive economic reforms that would have caused the military to suffer significant economic losses. The military also refused to allow Hamduk to come to terms with human rights violations, in which al-Burhan and other influential generals are said to have been involved in some cases.