KHARTOUM —
Sudanese protesters rallied again Friday, drawing tear gas from the security
forces a day after a mass demonstration joined by tens of thousands was met
with the deadliest violence so far this year.
اضافة اعلان
Hundreds of
activists massed near the presidential palace in the capital
Khartoum, after at
least nine people were killed during Thursday’s protests against a military
takeover led by army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan last October.
The international
community has condemned the bloodshed, with the UN’ rights chief urging an
independent probe.
“The people want to
bring down Burhan,” some protesters chanted while others, carrying photos of
people killed in months of protest-related violence, yelled: “We call for
retribution!”
“Our protest is
spontaneous and in reaction to yesterday’s (Thursday’s) violence,” demonstrator
Shawqi Abdelazim told AFP in Khartoum.
The death toll from
protest-related violence has reached 113 since last year’s coup, with the
latest fatality recorded Friday when a demonstrator died from wounds sustained
at a June 24 rally, according to pro-democracy medics.
Protesters set up
barricades and set ablaze car tires in North Khartoum, while others tried to
march on the presidential palace from the city center, AFP correspondents
reported.
Security forces
fired tear gas to disperse protesters marching towards the palace and several
people were injured, an AFP correspondent said.
‘Violence needs to
end’
The protesters demand the restoration of the transition to civilian rule
that was launched after the 2019 ouster of veteran president Omar Al-Bashir but
has since been derailed.
UN rights chief
Michelle Bachelet voiced alarm at Thursday’s violence, in which a minor also
died.
“I call on
authorities to conduct an independent, transparent, thorough, and impartial
investigation into the response by the security forces in accordance with
relevant international standards,” she said in a statement.
“Victims,
survivors, and their families have a right to truth, justice and reparations,”
she added.
The US State
Department’s Bureau for African Affairs said that “tens of thousands of
Sudanese took to the street ... to demand democracy. We support their
aspirations.”
“We condemn in the
strongest terms the use of live fire by security forces against civilians. We
offer our condolences to those who lost family members,” it added on Twitter.
The “violence needs
to end”, demanded UN special representative Volker Perthes.
The British embassy
in Khartoum said it was “appalled” by Thursday’s killings and also called for a
probe.
“Impunity and
killing must stop,” it said.
Sudan’s police
accused protesters of wounding 96 police and 129 military officers, “some
critically”, on Thursday, as well as damaging vehicles and starting fires.
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