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Sudan: Police disperse anti-coup protesters

November 7, 2021

Several protesters were injured demand civilian rule amid a political crisis triggered by the October 25 military takeover.

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A Sudanese anti-coup protester waves the national flag during a gathering in the capital Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on October 30, 2021.
Anti-coup protesters have repeatedly taken to the streets since the coup, as seen in this picture from October 30Image: AFP/Getty Images

Sudan's security forces on Sunday dispersed demonstrators as hundreds of anti-coup protesters rallied in Khartoum, as well as in its twin city of Omdurman, Wad Madni to the south and the northern city of Atbara.

"The authority belongs to the people," demonstrators chanted, calling "no, no to military rule," and demanding a "civilian government."

The protests came as efforts to resolve the political crisis in the African nation after the October 25 military coup reached a standstill. 

Security forces have also fired tear gas at a teachers protest in Khartoum and arrested at least 113 people.

At least 14 protesters have been killed and about 300 wounded since the coup, according to the independent Central Committee of Sudan's Doctors.

The Sudanese Professionals' Association, the union which led the 2019 uprising against longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir, called a two-day "complete civil disobedience" starting Sunday. 

Negotiations lag 

Since the coup, international organizations and mediators have sought to find ways out of the crisis through negotiations. 

An Arab League delegation, headed by Deputy Secretary-General Hossam Zaki, held talks on Sunday as part of the bloc's "ongoing efforts to support constructive dialogue."

Anti-coup protesters have rejected internationally backed efforts to return to a power-sharing arrangement with the military. "No negotiation, no partnership, no legitimacy," they said on social media.

The Sudanese Professionals' Association said late Friday that mediation efforts that "seek a new settlement'' between the military and civilian leaders would "reproduce and worsen'' the country's crisis.

Reuters news agency reported on Saturday that the military has also refused a return to democratic transition, causing a "semi-deadlock."

What happened in Sudan?

On October 25, the Sudanese military seized power by dissolving the transitional government and arresting Cabinet ministers.

The coup was led by the same man who deposed al-Bashir in 2019, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan. 

The United Nations and the African Union, as well as world powers, have slammed the military takeover and urged the immediate return to civilian rule. 

But the army continues to reject efforts to resolve the crisis, and security forces have confronted tens of thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets across Sudan.

mvb, fb/nm (AFP, AP, Reuters)