Police use tear gas to disperse protest in eastern Sudan

November 1, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese police fired tear gas to disperse some hundreds of demonstrators who protested against the accidental killing of a boy by the security forces.

Several days ago the police killed a 13-year old boy and wounded a young girl during a pursuit of a car suspected of carrying contraband material in the capital of the eastern Sudan town, Kassala, near the Eritrean border, where illegal business is a common occurrence.

The protesters, who were mainly students and the relatives of the children, gathered outside the police station in the main market, where they burnt two vehicles and threw stones at the police building.

The police forces used tear gas to break up the protest in the evening as the demonstrators stopped the traffic in the streets. Several protesters fainted after inhaling the tear gas.

The situation is tense in the region. Several reports have been made of food shortage in Eastern Sudan regions and the reemergence of armed rebels. However, Sudan avoided the waves of anti-government protests that hit the Arab countries particularly in neighbouring Egypt and Libya.

Analysts say divisions among the opposition parties and the different rebel groups led the ruling National Congress Party to appear as the sole alternative despite the severe economic crisis that hits the country since the secession of South Sudan.

Kassala University students demonstrated last week, prompting the closure of the road in front of the faculties of Education and Economy. The students protested against the academic regulations which they see as flawed and called for amendments.

Deputy dean of the university, Ahmed Omer accused unidentified political groups of seeking to use students to implement their political agenda. He stressed that they engaged process of amending the academic regulations and the procedure should be observed.

(ST)