Medics reported that 15 Sudanese residents were killed and dozens of others injured after security forces shot at thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets on Wednesday, marking the deadliest day since the country's military took control of the government.
The protesters marched against a coup conducted by the military on Oct. 25 across the capital of Khartoum and other cities, including Bahri and Omdurman. Residents demanded the military to hand over the government to civilian authorities and put the leaders of the coup to be put on trial.
Sudanese Military Coup
Security forces then opened fire at the thousands of protesters using live ammunition and tear gas, preventing the gathering in all three cities. Military personnel also cut mobile phone communications, said witnesses.
State television reported that protesters and police both suffered injuries amid the horrific shootout. "The coup forces used live bullets heavily in different areas of the capital and there are tens of gunshot injuries, some of them serious condition," said a group aligned with the protest movement, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors. The group noted that fatalities were mainly from residents protesting in Bahri, Reuters reported.
Reports revealed that protesters marching in the streets of Khartoum burned tires and chanted, "The people are stronger, and retreat is impossible." Other demonstrators were seen carrying pictures of residents who were killed in earlier protests and of Abdalla Hamdok, who is the country's civilian prime minister. Military personnel placed the official under house arrest during the coup.
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Various images of protesters demonstrating in the streets of the three cities went viral on several social media platforms. It was also reported that Sudanese security forces heavily deployed troops on main roads and intersections, according to witness testimonies. They also closed down bridges across the River Nile.
A demonstrator who was at the streets of Bahri told reporters that the air in the area was thick with tear gas. They also claimed that military personnel was using rubber and live bullets when they shot at protesters, CNN reported.
Shooting Protesters
The recent deaths bring the total number of fatalities to 38 since the start of protests against the military's control of the Sudanese government. The latest brutality also raised the number of injured residents, which was already in the hundreds.
Despite witness claims that security forces used live ammunition when shooting at protesters in the streets of the three cities, police have denied the accusations. The doctors' union said that the majority of the casualties were shot at the head, neck, or torso. However, it was revealed that the horrific deaths did not deter demonstrators who continued to hide behind makeshift barricades, keeping up their protests.
An umbrella of unions instrumental in the 2019 protests, the Sudanese Professionals Association, denounced the "immense crimes against humanity" that the military of the country has conducted and accused security forces of "premeditated killings."
The military's leader and Sudan's top general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was responsible for declaring a state of emergency that marked the beginning of the coup, dissolving the government and detaining civilian leadership, Aljazeera reported.
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