Another anti-coup protester killed in Sudan

February 28, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – A protester died on Tuesday after being shot in his chest by a police officer during a pro-democracy demonstration 16 months after a military coup in Sudan.

Despite the signing of a framework agreement to restore a civilian government, the Sudanese police continue to use excessive violence to disperse anti-coup protests and deploy security forces armed with automatic guns.

Anti-coup youth groups on Tuesday organized a protest in East Nile and Haj Yousif suburbs of Khartoum but the security forces intercepted them when they tried to cross the Mansheya Bridge heading to the presidential place where is the office of the military-led Sovereign Council.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) announced the killing of a protester during his participation in the protest of East Nile, after a shot by a bullet in the chest fired by the security forces.

A video posted on the Independent Medical Group’s page shows a policeman running towards a protester with a Kalashnikov rifle in his hands, before shooting him.

Since the military coup on October 25, 2021, the security forces killed 125 protesters.

On December 5, 2023, the military rulers signed a political framework agreement committing themselves to hand over power to a civilian government and ending violence against protesters.

The Khartoum State police to explain the death stated that the protesters were aggressive toward its forces.

“The demonstrators used excessive violence against the security forces in the locality of East Nile, using tear gas, stones, incendiary molotov cocktails, glass, slingshots and shields,” read the statement

After the release of a video on social media showing the aggressive attack on the young protester, the police issued a second statement distancing itself from the killing of the protester.

The police Directorate condemned the “unacceptable behaviour (of the police officer) which is contrary to our directives not to track or chase (protesters) (…);” read the second statement.

The murder of the protester was condemned by the political forces signatories of the framework agreement and called to hold the policeman “accountable for his heinous crime”.

The National Umma Party issued a statement saying the victim was the son of one of its local leaders in the East Nile area and called for a prompt trial of the police officer.

The SPLM-N Revolutionary Democratic Current and the Unionist Alliance also issued separate statements to denounce the killing of a protester.

“Firing live bullets on protesters is incompatible with the (agreed) measure to create a conducive environment for the current political process,” underscored the SPLM-N.

While the Unionist Alliance stressed the need to reform the police forces under the civilian government.

After the coup, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan granted immunity from prosecution to the security forces.

(ST)