Sudanese anti-coup protesters brave tear gas in central Khartoum

Thousands of people have once again held a massive rally in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, calling for justice for those killed during anti-junta protests since the military coup of October 25, 2021.

Demonstrators marched on the presidential palace on Sunday, braving tear gas shots and a heavy security presence. The crowds, carrying the Sudanese flags and posters of people killed during anti-coup demonstrations in recent months, demanded an end to the rule of the junta. 

According to Press TV, security forces used tear gas and wounded several protesters in central Khartoum.

“We are ready to protest all year,” 24-year-old Thoyaba Ahmed, a demonstrator, was quoted as saying. 

“We need to make sacrifices to resolve the country's issues,” 25-year-old demonstrator Arij Salah said. 

Regular protests have rocked the country since Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan led a military takeover in October 2021.

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.

"Dieng will meet with senior Sudanese government officials, representatives of civil society organisations, human rights defenders, heads of UN entities, and diplomats," the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement this week.

UN Special Representative Volker Perthes said on Twitter Sunday that he met with Dieng on "his first official visit" to Sudan. 

In recent months, Khartoum and several cities have been the scene of protests against the coup government.

Over 80 people have been killed and more than 2,000 injured in clashes since the coup, according to a count by a pro-democracy group of medics.

ME