At least four Sudanese protesters were killed in gunfire in Omdurman on Thursday during protests, a doctor’s committee said.
“Four protesters have been killed by live ammunition and several wounded at a rally in Omdurman,” the doctors’ committee linked to Sudan’s protest movement said in a statement, reported Reuters.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in several cities across Sudan on Thursday to participate in a “million-man march” to demonstrate against the killing of schoolchildren at a protest on Monday, which they blamed on the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Monday’s rally was held to protest growing bread and fuel shortages.
Earlier on Thursday, the members of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) said they feared more violence against the protesters.
“We have credible information that militias of the old regime are planning to attack the protesters,” said Abbas Madani Abbas, a leader of the protest movement. “This will have serious consequences, and we urge the Transitional Military Council [TMC] to take its responsibility in protecting the protesters.”
“Otherwise, we will also hold them responsible in the killing of protesters,” he added.
Thursday’s killings came as military rulers and protest leaders resumed talks on Thursday evening to resolve remaining issues on transitioning to civilian rule after former President Omar Al-Bashir’s ousting. Despite signing a power-sharing deal in July, the two sides are still in talks over the constitutional declaration and the composition of a civilian legislative council and immunity for military figures for past crimes.
During a press conference on Thursday in Khartoum, Satea al-Hajj, a leader in the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition of opposition groups, said they are very close to finalizing a power-sharing deal.
The meeting between the protest leaders and military rulers will resume on Friday when they will discuss the independent commissions such as the electoral commission.
