Sudanese security forces on Saturday fired tear gas at anti-coup demonstrators as hundreds rallied in and around the capital, two days after the military sought to tighten its grip by forming a new ruling council.
The pro-democracy protests come nearly three weeks after top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ousted the government, detained the civilian leadership and declared a state of emergency.
“Dozens gathered and began chanting against military rule and marched on to meet up with other rallies,” said Mohieddine Hassan, a witness from Al-Shajarah district in southern Khartoum.
“No, no to military rule”, “Civilian (rule) is the people’s choice”, and “Down with the entire council”, the protesters in southern Khartoum shouted.
Despite the disruption of communication networks, hundreds also gathered in the capital’s twin city of Omdurman, where police dispersed one group of protesters with tear gas, witnesses and an AFP correspondent there said.
Security forces also fired tear gas in east Khartoum “and chased protesters afterwards,” a witness there said.
Other demonstrations broke out in the city of Wad Madani, south of Khartoum, according to witnesses.
The military’s October 25 takeover drew widespread international condemnation, as did a deadly crackdown on street demonstrations by people demanding it restore the country’s democratic transition.
Any hopes the demonstrators had that the military would back down were dashed Thursday, when Burhan named himself as the head of a new ruling Sovereign Council that excludes the country’s main civilian bloc, triggering more condemnation from the West.
The protests occurred despite the heavy presence of military, police and paramilitary forces in Khartoum, where bridges connecting the capital to neighbouring cities were sealed off, AFP correspondents reported.
The security forces also blocked roads in Khartoum leading to the army headquarters, the site of a mass sit-in in 2019 that led to the ouster of autocratic President Omar al-Bashir.