10 reported killed in Sudan protests

DPA Cairo/Nairobi In the East African country of Sudan, large numbers of people protested on Wednesday against the military’s takeover of power. The Centra...

DPACairo/NairobiIn the East African country of Sudan, large numbers of people protested on Wednesday against the military’s takeover of power. The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD), an independent union of medics, said 10 people were killed by security forces, Al Jazeera reported.“The coup forces used live bullets heavily in different areas of the capital and there are tens of gunshot injuries, some of them in serious condition,” it said in a statement. It said two of the deaths were in Khartoum, seven were in Bahri and one was in Omdurman.There was no immediate comment from security forces. In the capital Khartoum, security forces reportedly used tear gas against the demonstrators and blocked important bridges and roads, the broadcaster Al-Jazeera reported. Footage of burning tyres could be seen on social media.Protesters were calling for a return to civil order. Most phone lines and internet connections have been blocked since the coup on October 25.  The military has taken power in the East African country of about 44 million people and dissolved the civilian government. Military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appointed himself chairman of a transitional council by decree.The commander of the controversial special military unit Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, was appointed deputy. Both al-Burhan and Dagalo are alleged to have been involved in serious human rights violations in the past.Until the coup, al-Burhan headed an interim government together with the now ousted head of government Abdullah Hamdok.Germany, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations are pushing for the reinstatement of the civilian government. In April 2019, long-term strongman Omar al-Bashir was forced out of office after months of mass protests and a military coup.