2 die, at least 12 hurt as police target Sudan protests

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Two people have been killed and at least a dozen more injured as security forces cracked down on protests in Sudan’s capital, officials said on Thursday.

People took to the streets of Khartoum a day earlier to protest against the worsening state of the economy and poor living conditions.

Police and security forces fired tear gas and locked down the capital after blocking main roads and streets leading to the presidential palace and army headquarters.

One protester was reportedly killed in clashes on Wednesday night, hours before another succumbed to his injuries.

The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors identified the second victim as Mohamed Abdul Majeed and accused security personnel for his death, a claim authorities are yet to comment on.

According to the group, at least a dozen wounded people have been admitted to hospitals, while a medical source told Anadolu Agency that the number of injured is now at 14.

The violence has drawn widespread condemnation from Sudanese citizens, political parties, activists, and other groups.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, an umbrella group of several trade unions, slammed the transitional government for the use of force against unarmed civilians.

It said the perpetrators of the violence, including police and other security forces, must face justice and accountability.

Revolutionary committees in Khartoum state called for the dismissal of the police chief and the state’s security committee, while vowing to continue their protests.

Ayman Nimir, the state governor, apologized to the public for the violence, but said authorities had acted on information that supporters of ousted President Omar al-Bashir were planning to “sabotage” the protests and “create chaos.”

“We have taken precautions, including closing the bridges in Khartoum, because we knew that the associates of the old regime were planning to sabotage the peaceful protests and cause chaos in the center of the city,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

“But at the end, we as authorities announce here that we are bearing the responsibility of protecting the civilians.”