Sudan army kills two anti-coup protesters, wounds 80

Shafaq News/ The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors has said that two people died of gunshot wounds while at least 80 others were injured after being shot by military forces during protests against a military takeover on Monday.

Thousands of protesters poured into the streets of the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman following the early morning arrests of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other senior officials by security forces in the country.

Hamdok was moved to an undisclosed location after he refused to issue a statement in support of the coup, said the information ministry.

The chairman of Sudan’s ruling body General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan later announced the dissolution of the transitional government and the sovereign council and declared a nationwide state of emergency.

Sudan has been on edge since a failed coup plot last month unleashed bitter recriminations between military and civilian groups meant to be sharing power following the toppling of the country’s longtime leader Omar al-Bashir two years ago.

The coup also comes just weeks before the military was supposed to hand the leadership of the council that runs the country over to civilians.

The Sudanese military’s takeover of the transitional government will have lasting consequences on relations with the United States and it should reverse course immediately, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez said.

“The Sudanese military’s takeover of the state apparatus is completely unacceptable and will have long-lasting consequences with respect to US- Sudanese relations,” said Menendez, who called for the immediate release of government officials.

African Union Commission head Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed “deep dismay” over the volatile political situation in Sudan.

In a statement posted on the commission’s Twitter account, Mahamat said he was alarmed at the developments which led to the arrest of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and other civilian officials.

Mahamat called on the immediate resumption of consultations between the civilian and military wings of the transitional government.