Coup d’etat in Sudan: Khartoum barricaded by democratic activists

Sudanese protesters barricaded the streets of 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 town of Omdurman, doctors said.

The Interior Ministry denied that real bullets were fired.

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

United Nations Envoy for Sudan, Volker Perthes, met with Mr. Hamdok on Sunday at his residence.

Perthes said Hamdok was fine but remained under house arrest.

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

The leader of the coup, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, dissolved the civilian government on Monday.

The general, who also called a state of emergency, said his actions were justified in avoiding “civil war” and stopping internal political struggles. The military takeover sparked widespread international condemnation.

Saturday saw the largest demonstrations ever, with tens of thousands of people marching across the country with Sudanese flags and chanting: “No to the military government!”

“These protests will continue to be peaceful even in the face of guns,” Shaheen al Shaheef, a member of the Khartoum Resistance Committee, told the BBC.

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

The Sudanese authorities cut off the internet and other communications.

Until Monday’s coup, civilian and military leaders were in a difficult power-sharing deal since longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019.

The deal was designed to lead Sudan towards democracy, but proved fragile with a series of previous coup attempts.

General Burhan, who headed the power-sharing council, said Sudan is still committed to the transition to civilian government, with elections scheduled for July 2023.