Government Forces in Sudan shot dead a protester during anti-coup protests in the capital Khartoum and nearby Omdurman, raising the number of fatalities to 102 since the anti-coup protests began on 25 October 2021.
The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) stated that a protester in Omdurman died from a gunshot wound in the chest and abdomen, reported Sudan Tribune.
The incident took place on Thursday, a week after military leaders and the former ruling civilian coalition met to find a ‘diplomatic solution’ for the political deadlock, gripping Sudan since last year’s army coup.
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The Sudanese military, led by al-Burhan, seized power last October, after detaining Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian leaders and dissolving the year-old transitional government as well as the joint ruling military-civilian sovereign council formed after the 2019 ouster of longtime President Omar al-Bashir.
Bashir was toppled by the military but mass street demonstrations demanding civilian rule forced the military to negotiate a plan aimed at moving to a democratic government.
The country has been reporting protests since then that have left over 100 people dead and hundreds injured. Hundreds of activists have also been arrested in the clampdown under emergency laws.
The resistance committees have held protests to maintain a hard stance against any negotiation.
Forces have shut several key roads and bridges in downtown Khartoum in response to flaring protests by the committees, as per reports.
“30 protesters were arrested, including five children and four young women, one of whom was injured,” Rehab Mubarak a member of the Emergency Lawyers committee told the Sudan Tribune.
Leading political group Forces of Freedom and Change depicted the bilateral meeting as a step to end what it called as a “fake” political process, in line with its aim of ending the military takeover.
However, on Wednesday, General Abdelfattah al-Burhan, who led the coup last October, said that there was no room for a two-way agreement and that all parties must be included. He defended his stance and said the military remained committed to a UN- and African Union-led process.
Back then, al-Burhan declared a state of emergency and vowed to form what he called a competent government. The move drew anger and outrage across the North African country and sparked international condemnation, including from the UN Security Council.
On top of the political tensions, Sudan’s economy has been in a deep crisis, with high inflation and shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
