Thousands take to streets in Sudan to protest military coup

Thousands of Sudanese poured into the streets Saturday, chanting "revolution, revolution" to the sound of whistles and drums, to protest against a military coup earlier this week that threatened to derail the country's fitful transition to democracy.

Pro-democracy groups had called for mass protest marches across the country to press demands for reinstating a deposed transitional government and releasing senior political figures from detention.

Sudan's transition to democracy began in 2019 when a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist-allied government after nearly three decades in power.

The UN special envoy for Sudan, Volker Perthes, met late Friday with Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, a coup leader seen as close to Sudan's strongman, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan. Dagalo commands the Rapid Support Forces, a feared paramilitary unit that controls the streets of the capital of Khartoum and played a major role in the coup.

Perthes said in a message posted on Twitter that he "stressed the need for calm, allowing peaceful protest and avoiding any confrontation" in his talks with Dagalo.

Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, the UN special rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, also urged security forces to avoid violence against protesters.

"They will be held individually accountable for any excessive use of force against protesters. We are monitoring," he warned.

Saturday's protests were likely to increase pressure on the generals, who already face mounting condemnations from the U.S. and other Western countries to restore a civilian-led government.

The demonstrations, under the banner of "Going backward is impossible," were called by the Sudanese Professionals' Association and the so-called Resistance Committees. Both were at the forefront of the uprising against al-Bashir and his Islamist government. They demand the dismantling of the now-ruling military council, led by Burhan, and the handover of the government to civilians.

The list of demands also includes dismantling paramilitary groups and restructuring the military, intelligence and security agencies to remove officers still loyal to al-Bashir.

Protesters took to the streets in Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman, activists Mohamed Khalifa and Mohammed Farog said. Footage circulating online showed mostly young protesters marching in Khartoum's neighbourhoods, carrying Sudanese flags and chanting slogans against the military leaders.

There were fears that security forces may again resort to violence to disperse protesters. Since Monday, troops have fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas at anti-coup demonstrators. They also beat protesters with sticks and whips.

Mohammed Yousef al-Mustafa, a spokesperson for the professionals' association, said security forces fired tear gas at protesters as they attempted to cross the Manshia Bridge over the Nile River to reach Khartoum's downtown.

"No power-sharing mediation with the military council again," said Al-Mustafa, who spoke to The Associated Press by phone. "They (the generals) have failed the transition."