Sudanese security forces shot dead a protester during an anti-government protest near Khartoum on Tuesday, according to pro-democracy medics, reported The TRT World.
The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said the protester, who has been identified as Ibrahim Mazjoob, died after being shot in the chest by the security forces while taking part in an anti-government protest in the East Nile area, situated just outside of Khartoum.
The death brings the total number of protesters killed in a crackdown against recurrent pro-democracy demonstrations since the October 2021 coup to 125.
In a statement, the Sudanese police said protesters used excessive violence against security forces and injured a number of them.
Sudan has been struggling hard to control political and economic turmoil since the coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan in October 2021. The coup derailed a short-lived transition to civilian rule following the 2019 ouster of long-time autocrat Omar al Bashir.
Al-Burhan, the chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, has served because the de facto ruler of the nation since the coup.
There have been anti-government protests almost every week in the capital and other major cities. The weekly protests are led by more ardent factions of Sudan’s sprawling pro-democracy network that have so far refused to negotiate with Burhan and other military leaders.
The Sudanese military leaders and civilian factions signed a preliminary agreement last December as the first component of a two-phase political process aimed at restoring the democratic transition. Amid international pressure, cross-party talks are yet to reach a final and more inclusive deal.
There has been a division among civilian groups, with some rejecting the deal and calling for “no partnership, no negotiation”.
Various political factions – including the main civilian bloc ousted from power in the coup – have held multiple rounds of talks on contentious issues including transitional justice, accountability, and security reforms.
