Sudan coup: Khartoum barricaded by pro-democracy activists

KHARTOUM— Sudanese protesters have barricaded roads in the capital, Khartoum, as part of week-long demonstrations against a military coup.

Three people were killed on Saturday when security forces fired shots and tear gas to disperse protesters in the nearby city of Omdurman, medics said.

The interior ministry denied that live rounds had been fired.

The army seized power on Monday, detaining Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian leaders.

The UN’s Sudan envoy, Volker Perthes, met Hamdok at his residence on Sunday.

Perthes said Hamdok was well but remained under house arrest.

“We discussed options for mediation and the way forward for Sudan,” he added.

Coup leader Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan dissolved civilian rule on Monday.

The general, who also called a state of emergency, said his actions were justified to avoid “civil war” and stop political infighting. The military takeover has drawn widespread international condemnation.

Saturday saw the biggest demonstrations yet, with tens of thousands marching across the country with Sudanese flags and chanting, “No to military rule!”

“These protests are going to continue being peaceful even when faced with the guns,” Shaheen al Shaheef, a member of the Khartoum Resistance Committee, said.

More than 10 protesters have died in clashes with security forces last week.

The Sudanese authorities have cut off the internet and other communications.

Until Monday’s coup, civilian and military leaders had been in an uneasy power-sharing agreement since long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019.

The deal was designed to steer Sudan towards democracy, but it proved to be fragile with a number of previous coup attempts.

Gen Burhan, who was head of the power-sharing council, said Sudan was still committed to the transition to civilian rule, with elections planned for July 2023.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK