Sudanese protester killed in Khartoum protests, say medics

Khartoum  — A Sudanese demonstrator was killed on Wednesday during renewed protests in the capital Khartoum, a statement by the Central Doctors’ Committee said.

The protester died after being hit in the head with a teargas canister and run over by a vehicle belonging to security forces, medics said. He became the 117th person to be killed in the demonstrations that began after a military coup on October 25 2021.

More than 4,000 protesters blocked the capital’s main road with rocks and burning tyres as they marched towards the country's main airport, a recent destination for protests that for months headed towards the presidential palace.

Police, heavily deployed in the area, fired teargas about 1.5km away from the airport and chased protesters into side streets.

Sudan has been in political and economic turmoil since the coup that halted a transition towards democracy. While military leaders, civilian political parties, armed groups and others have engaged in a series of discussions, none have been fruitful.

The resistance committees that have organised protests reject any negotiation or power-sharing with the military.

“We will be in the streets until we defeat the coup and win civilian democratic rule,” said Ahmed Taha, a university student.

Last week, Sudan’s military leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced a major reshuffling of the country’s military leadership.

The change includes the military’s land forces, operations, and supply heads, as well as its general inspector. A change to the air force leadership had been announced previously, while the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mohamed Osman Alhussein, was kept in his position. It marked the largest change in army leadership since a coup, led by Burhan and other generals.

Reuters