Streets blocked and shops closed in Sudan after 7 killed

KHARTOUM – Sudanese closed businesses and barricaded Khartoum streets on Tuesday in a civil disobedience effort to protest one of the deadliest days since the country’s democratic transition was disrupted by a coup in October.

According to doctors, security forces murdered at least seven individuals on Monday during anti-coup rallies by thousands, increasing the total number of persons killed in the crackdown on anti-coup demonstrations to 71.

The Forces for Freedom and Change, Sudan’s major civilian group, has called for two days of civil disobedience to begin on Tuesday.

“Shop closed for mourning,” said a series of small signs posted on the closed outlets at the sprawling Sajane construction supplies market in Khartoum. One of the merchants, Othman el-Sherif, was among those shot dead on Monday.

In several other parts of Khartoum, too, many pharmacies and other shops were shuttered, according to an AFP correspondent.

According to an official announcement, Sudan’s University for Science and Technology has ceased all activities as part of the civil disobedience.

As they do regularly, police on Tuesday fired tear gas at dozens of protesters setting up roadbloacks, this time on the streets of east Khartoum, according to an AFP correspondent.

Following Monday’s killings, UN special representative Volker Perthes criticised the use of live fire, while the US embassy condemned “violent methods of Sudanese security forces,” the latest such appeals by foreign powers that have failed to halt the mounting death toll.

Washington’s Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and special envoy for the Horn of Africa, David Satterfield, were expected in Khartoum where they would “reiterate our call for security forces to end violence and respect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” spokesman Ned Price said.

On Monday, Sudan’s police said they used “the least force” to counter the protests, in which about 50 police personnel were wounded in confrontations.

Authorities have repeatedly denied using live ammunition against demonstrators, and insist scores of security personnel have been wounded during protests which have occurred regularly since the October 25 coup.

Last week, a police general was stabbed to death.

On Tuesday the “Friends of Sudan” group calling for the restoration of the country’s transitional government held talks in Saudi Arabia over the crisis.

“Deep concern about yesterday’s violence. International support and leverage is needed. Support for political process needs to go along with active support to stop violence,” the UN’s Perthes said on Twitter, after attending the meeting virtually.