Demo deaths prompt outrage in Sudan and abroad

Renewed protest marches took place in various locations in Sudan on Tuesday, after three protesters were killed and 30-40 injured when security forces opened fire during the March of Millions on Monday. International response has condemned the continued violence against demonstrators.

Wad Madani, capital of El Gezira, witnessed complete paralysis due to civil disobedience on Tuesday morning. The resistance committees closed all the city’s roads after the funeral of Gasim Mohamed, who died of a gunshot wound on January 24. The protesters also closed the Khartoum-Wad Madani road, and prevented all vehicles from passing except for humanitarian cases.

Thousands of people attended the funeral of Gasim Mohamed, calling for retribution and holding Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, Commander of the Sudan Armed Forces, Chairperson of Sovereignty Council and leader of the military coup d’état of October 25, 2021, responsible for killing the demonstrators, calling for the overthrow of the putschists.

The Wad Madani Resistance Committees accused the security forces of recruiting a group of gang members who attacked El Gezira government buildings in front of the police.

Three demonstrators were killed by military bullets during the mass protests of Monday January 24, including two in Khartoum and the third in Wad Madani.

In Khartoum, demonstrators closed most of the main roads to condemn the killing of two demonstrators and the use of excessive violence and the military coup.

The authorities fired tear gas at protesters in a number of main roads. The demonstrators closed the entire Burri neighbourhood in protest against the killing of demonstrators and the targeting of the nearby Royal Care Hospital.

On Tuesday afternoon, participants of the Anger March of Millions in eastern Khartoum marched to the house of Sabit Bashir (22) in Burri, who was killed on Monday, demanding just retribution.

International outrage

The US Embassy in Khartoum warned its citizens of acts of civil disobedience on Tuesday, in Khartoum and possibly in other states. The embassy expected centralised or decentralised demonstrations, and road closures by the demonstrators, and called on its citizens to be careful and avoid crowds and demonstrations.

The High Commissioner for Refugees in Sudan called on refugees and asylum seekers in Khartoum not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary. On its Facebook page on Tuesday, UNHCR called on all refugees and asylum seekers to always carry their refugee identity and inform UNHCR in the event of any incident in Khartoum.

The UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) released a statement strongly condemning the continued violence against protesters, saying that the detention of medical personnel, including doctors from MSF is unacceptable.

In a statement via the US Bureau for African Affairs, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, laments that “after [Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa] Satterfield and I met military leaders of the Sovereign Council, they publicly committed to dialogue to resolve the current crisis. Yet their actions–more violence against protestors, detention of civil society activists-tell a different story, and will have consequences.

River Nile state

Atbara in River Nile state witnessed mass demonstrations to reject the military coup and to denounce the suppression of peaceful demonstrations and the killing of demonstrators.

The Atbara resistance committees anticipated the demonstrations by completely closing the main roads in the town to protest the killing of three demonstrators in Khartoum and Wad Madani. They also blocked the Port Sudan-Atbara-Khartoum road “for an indefinite period”.

People in Hamdab in Northern State once again closed the Sheryan El Shimal road leading to the Egyptian border, demanding the area’s rights from the electricity produced by the Merowe Dam and mining and transit revenues.

The protesters blocked a large number of lorries coming from and heading to Egypt, and they conditioned the opening of the road to a response to their demands.

Tally of the wounded

According to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors more than 169 protesters were wounded during the January 24 March of Millions in Khartoum and Wad Madani.

In a field report yesterday, the committee said 128 demonstrators were injured in Khartoum, 19 each in Omdurman and Khartoum North (Bahri), and three in Wad Madani.

32 demonstrators were injured by live ammunition, two of them are an unstable condition. 20 others were wounded when a stun grenade or a gas canister hit their head, and five sustained eye injuries. Other injuries were caused by rubber bullets, stun grenades, tear gas, beatings with batons, and stone throwing.