Two injured in Khartoum’s brick factory protests

Two people were injured and four were arrested in a confrontation with the police in a district in Khartoum on Monday.

According to a resident and owner of a brick factory, a police force arrived at one of the factories in El Jireif East at 11am and prevented people from working there. One of the owners objected to the decision and was arrested, together with three of his employees.

The arrests and the obstruction of their work led to a protest held by brick factory employees and people from the neighbourhood.

“The police intervened and used sticks, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators. Two children were injured, the 9-year-olds Faisal Badreldin and Ahmed Mubarak,” according to the factory owner speaking to Radio Dabanga.

On 12 October, El Jireif's residents forced police forces to withdraw from the area and prevented the demolition of brick factories that was ordered by the state. Sudanese authorities have sold the plots to investors but people have objected that the brick factories have stood in El Jireif for a long time and are considered historical.

A woman died when police used tear gas and others were shot by live ammunition used to disperse similar protests in May last year.