TWO PEOPLE KILLED IN SUDAN AS PROTESTS AGAINST MILITARY CONTINUE

Two protesters were killed in Sudan amid mass demonstrations calling for a transition to civilian rule after a military coup. Local media had reported that both the demonstrators were hit in the head by the military troops in the city of Omdurman.

As per the latest reports total of 59 protesters have been killed since the military takeover on October 25. Amid the developments, the Western world had called for Sudanese security forces to “cease using lethal force against demonstrators and commit to an independent investigation.”

The local media had also shared pictures of many protesters wounded as security forces used heavy tear gas. After the coup, the security forces indulged in a major crackdown that has also wounded hundreds but the demonstrators numbered in lakhs are going ahead with marches and protest rallies.

The power grab by military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan more than two months ago dismantled a precarious power-sharing arrangement between the military and civilians established in the wake of the April 2019 ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Sudan, a country located in Northeast Africa is the third-largest country by area in Africa and the Arab League. It was the largest country by area in Africa and the Arab League until the secession of South Sudan in 2011. This military coup resulted in the capture of the civilian government, including former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. The coup was led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan who subsequently declared a state of emergency. On November 21, Hamdok was reinstated as prime minister after a political agreement was signed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to restore the transition to civilian rule. The 14-point deal called for the release of all political prisoners detained during the coup and stipulated that a 2019 constitutional declaration continued to be the basis for a political transition. On January 2, Hamdok announced his resignation from the position of Prime Minister which led to this current wave of protest.