Protests against coup in Sudan have risen to 40 since the death of a teenager Protest News

The teenager has succumbed to his wounds after being shot in the head by a live gunman the day before, raising the death toll from protests to 40.

The death toll in Sudan since it took over the military last month has risen to at least 40, doctors said after a teenager was shot in the head a day earlier.

Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on October 25, disbanded the caretaker government and arrested a civilian leader.

The military takeover overturned a two-year transition to civilian power, led to widespread international condemnation and punitive measures, and prompted people to take to the streets.

Wednesday’s protests led to the deadliest day to date, and the death toll after those protests is now 16, according to doctors.

“A martyr was killed … after suffering head and leg strains on November 17 after falling into serious injuries,” Sudan’s independent Central Medical Commission said on Saturday. He was 16, he added.

Most of the dead on Wednesday were in North Khartoum, which is located on the Nile side of the capital, doctors said. Hundreds were also injured in the crackdown, according to the commission.

Poliziaren arduradunek ukatu egiten dute benetako muniziorik erabili izana eta protestak barreiatzeko “gutxieneko indarra” erabili dutela azpimarratu dute. Only one death has been recorded among protesters in North Khartoum.

“Abuses and violations”

On Friday, small groups of protesters gathered in several neighborhoods after prayers against the military coup, especially in North Khartoum, where they saw people building barricades along the roads. Security forces occasionally fired tear gas to disperse them.

The United States on Friday condemned the deadly crackdown.

“We urge those responsible for human rights violations and violations, including the excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, to be held accountable,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Washington said Sudanese “should have the freedom to express their views without fear of violence,” and called for the release of detainees since their arrest.

“Ahead of the upcoming protests, we call on the Sudanese authorities to use the measure and allow peaceful demonstrations,” the U.S. added.

Other international condemnations of Wednesday’s crackdown were comments made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who described the use of live ammunition as “absolutely shameful”.

The European Union has also condemned the crackdown, saying the blackout of telecommunications “should not prevent the world from being aware of these human rights violations”.

A day later on Thursday, the official SUNA news agency said that internet and telephone services were “gradually returning from all telecommunications companies” after an almost complete blackout.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Professional Association (SPA) urged protesters to continue the campaign, and on Friday reported that security forces had “attacked homes and mosques” in North Khartoum.

SPA is the umbrella of the unions that were instrumental in the month-long demonstrations that ousted President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.

Sudan has a long history of military coups, with only rare spans of democratic rule since independence in 1956.

General Al-Burhan stressed that the military movement was “not a coup d’état” but a step towards “correcting the transition” as internal factional fighting and civilian-military divisions escalated under the now-ousted government.

He has since announced a new civil-military council, where he held the post of head, along with a powerful paramilitary commander, three senior military officials, three former rebel leaders and a civilian.

But four other civilian members were replaced by strangers.