Sudanese security forces on Sunday fired tear gas on hundreds of anti-coup protesters in Khartoum, who also called attention to increasingly deadly tribal clashes in the southern part of the country, reported The TRT World.
Near-weekly protests have continued in the capital since army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan launched a power grab in October last year that derailed a transition to civilian rule. Last October, the Sudanese military staged a coup, dissolving a transitional government formed after President Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a 2019 popular uprising.
There has been a recent outbreak of violence in Blue Nile State where more than 30 people have killed and 100 injured in tribal clashes last week between the Hausa and Fung tribes in the southeastern state, close to the border with Ethiopia.
On Sunday, the Sudanese Authorities assured that they would reinforce the security presence in the state and investigate the clashes. A curfew has been declared in two towns.
Protesters in the capital were seen carrying sign boards reading Stop Civil War, Blue Nile is Bleeding, and Cancel the Juba Peace Agreement, as they marched towards the presidential palace.
The demonstrators oppose Burhan’s October power grab and accuse the Sudanese government now in power and the ex-rebel leaders who signed a 2020 peace deal of exacerbating ethnic tensions for personal gain. The anti-military movement has accused the military of stoking internal conflict and failing to protect civilians.
At least 114 Sudanese protesters have lost their lives in the protests so far, according to pro-democracy medics. Nine were killed on June 30 when thousands of them gathered for the weekly protests.
Earlier this month, Burhan announced the withdrawal of military from ongoing political talks. Notably, most civilian groups have refused to negotiate with the military since the coup, which has led to the current stalemate.
