Sudanese protestors block major roads in Khartoum

Sudanese protestors blocked main roads in the capital city of Khartoum on Tuesday as demonstrations the army-led transitional government continue.

Eyewitnesses told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) that the protestors had “deliberately” closed a number of the capital’s main and side streets, as well as the Al-Mk Nemer Bridge, which links Khartoum with the northern city of Bahri.

“Demonstrators also set fire to tyres, bringing traffic in the capital to a standstill,” the eyewitnesses noted, adding that the protestors had blocked a number of the city’s main roads which lead to the main sit-in near the military headquarters.

On Monday, local media reported that “unidentified gunmen,” some of them appeared to be military uniform including that of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), attacked the protest and opened fire at the demonstrators randomly, and killing six people including an army officer. Sudan’s ruling Military Transitional Council (TMC) denied the accusation, stressing that the claim was “completely false.”

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Doctors inside the sit-in told DPA that the escalation had led to injuring “at least 200 protestors.”

In April, Sudan’s army deposed long-serving president Omar Al-Bashir following months of popular protest against his 30-year rule.

The MTC is now overseeing a two-year “transitional period” during which it has pledged to hold free presidential elections. But the opposition, led by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), has continued, demanding the army to hand over power to a civilian government.