Sudan: Teargas used to disperse anti-coup protesters

Pro-democracy protesters on Tuesday again took to the streets of Sudan's capital Khartoum and other cities.

Security forces used teargas to disperse groups of protesters who had congregated at a number of locations in the capital.

It's unclear if there have been any injuries as a result of the confrontations. There were also protests in nearby Omdurman.

Streets leading to key points in the city like the presidential palace and military headquarters were sealed off. Protesters chanted: "No, no to military rule."

What are the protests about?

Protesters are calling for the ruling council, which is currently led by Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to be dissolved.

The demonstrations come two days after the country's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned. Hamdok said he was giving an opportunity for someone else to lead.

The former prime minister had been reinstated by the military six weeks after it overthrew the government in October. However, there was concern in some quarters over the military's continued involvement, with civic organizations demanding complete civilian rule.

There's also been criticism that the reinstatement of Hamdok and continued engagement with the military legitimized the coup.

"Generally the Sudanese popular sentiment has lost trust in the ability of the political class to come together and to raise the higher values and aspirations of the people in the streets," journalist Mohanad Hashim, who is based in London, told DW.

How have Western powers responded?

The United States, the European Union, Britain, and Norway on Tuesday issued a joint statement warning the Sudanese military that they would not support any government which did not include "a broad range of civilian stakeholders."

They called for all Sudanese parties to engage in "an immediate, Sudanese-led and internationally facilitated dialogue" to address the ongoing crisis.

"Unilateral action to appoint a new Prime Minister and Cabinet would undermine those institutions' credibility and risks plunging the nation into conflict," they said.

The four Western powers also threatened to hold those impeding the county's democratic transition accountable.

They further called for elections, scheduled under the transition timetable for 2023, to be held as planned as well as for the building of an independent legislature and judiciary.

"The right of the Sudanese people to assemble peacefully and express their demands needs to be protected," the statement said.

Journalist Mohanad Hashim said the Biden administration had "to raise its game and to see if it can mediate a way forward."

Security forces accused of abuses

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) has accused security personnel of using excessive force on civilians and violating human rights.

The CCSD accused forces of attacking medical staff at a medical training facility. Security forces were also accused of using teargas inside a hospital and attempting to seize the bodies of civilians killed during a protest on December 30.

On Sunday, two protesters were killed by security personnel, with one man dying as a result of head injuries and another as a result of gunshot wounds in the city of Omdurman.

There have also been allegations of sexual attacks against women during protests in December.

The UN said at least 13 women and girls were victims of rape or gang rape.

The attacks prompted the European Union and the United States to issue a joint statement condemning the use of sexual violence "as a weapon to drive women away from demonstrations."

kb/rt (AFP, AP)