Sudanese security forces yesterday fired tear gas at protesters demonstrating against last year’s military coup, an AFP correspondent said, as a United Nations human rights expert arrived in the country.
Thousands rallied in the capital Khartoum, carrying Sudanese flags and posters of people killed during anti-coup demonstrations in recent months.
Security forces fired tear gas and wounded several protesters who were heading toward the presidential palace in central Khartoum, the correspondent said.
“We are ready to protest all year,” said one demonstrator, 24-year-old Thoyaba Ahmed.
Regular protests have rocked the northeast African country since army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan led a military takeover in October, sparking international condemnation.
The move derailed a transition painstakingly negotiated between military and civilian leaders following the 2019 ouster of president Omar al-Bashir. “We want to rectify our country’s situation to have a good future,” demonstrator Wadah Khaled said.
At least 81 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in a violent crackdown on the protests, according to an independent medics group.
“We need to make sacrifices to resolve the country’s issues,” 25-year-old demonstrator Arij Salah said.
UN human rights expert Adama Dieng meanwhile is visiting Sudan until Thursday, on a trip initially planned for last month but postponed at the request of Sudanese authorities.