Sudanese doctors report use of harmful chemicals in police water cannons

The Sudanese Doctors Association recorded 73 injuries during Tuesday's Marches of the Millions, including the use of harmful chemicals in water cannons and tear gas cannisters filled with stones or glass, breaking international law.

Demonstrations swept through Sudan’s capital under the slogan 'overthrow the coup and settlement', in rejection of the (upcoming) agreement with the military, were met with brutal force.

The protest marchers were coordinated by local state resistance committees and headed towards the Republican Palace. Security forces targeted protestors with tear gas at the assembly points in Basdar and El Gurashi in Khartoum, Radio Dabanga reported yesterday.

The Socialist Doctors Association (SDA) counted 73 different injuries in Tuesday's marches of the millions due to the use of excessive violence, including the firing of rubber bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas cannisters. Five protesters were also run over by armoured vehicles of the regular forces.

The doctors also reported the use of the tear gas cannister launching weapon loaded with stones and glass that they shoot from a close range. Medics recently exposed and condemned this practice and explained that this type of weapon is internationally prohibited.

Member of the Emergency Lawyers Rehab El Mubarak also explained that aiming the tear gas launchers, intended for firing liquefied gas projectiles, at the human body is prohibited internationally, even when filled with suitable cannisters.

In their field report, the SDA recorded 44 direct injuries from tear gas cannisters, including injuries to the head, face, and eyes.

The SDA also recorded two cases of infection with a chemical substance in the contaminated water of police water cannons, which leads to inflammatory cases of the skin.

Last week, protesters were confronted with excessive violence in Marches of Millions under the slogan "Reject the False Power" in Khartoum’s cities and Wad Madani, capital of El Gezira. 

Resistance committees in Khartoum described efforts by the authorities to define safe demonstration areas as “a new dictatorship of the forces that signed the framework agreement”.

Mohamed Anwar, the official spokesperson for the Khartoum Resistance Committees, stressed that the right to demonstrate is guaranteed to everyone, and should count everywhere, without any demarcation of safe or unsafe locations.