CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese riot police fired tear gas on Thursday at thousands of protesters who were rallying in Khartoum against the country’s military rulers and demanding an immediate handover of power to civilians.
It was the the latest in dozens of rallies since the October military coup upended Sudan’s transition to democracy after nearly three decades of authoritarian rule under President Omar al-Bashir.
Protests erupted also elsewhere on Thursday, including in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman and in the cities of Madani, Nyala and Atbara. Videos of protesters beating drums, waving Sudanese flags and chanting anti-military slogans circulated on social media. There were also videos showing protesters hurling stones at police in the capital, Khartoum, as riot police fired tear gas.
There were no immediate reports of any casualties Thursday. Around 90 people, including 15 children, have been killed since the coup, according to Sudan Doctors Committee, which tracks protester casualties.
The protest was called by the Sudanese Professionals’ Association and the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, an alliance of political parties and groups which spearheaded the uprising that culminated in al-Bashir’s ouster in 2019.
The Oct. 25 military takeover has triggered near-daily protests. Authorities have launched a deadly crackdown, including firing live ammunition and tear gas at crowds in the streets and knocking the country’s internet and mobile signal offline — all in efforts to keep people from gathering.
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