In Sudan, thousands of protesters have poured into the streets for a second straight day after military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared a state of emergency, arresting Sudan’s prime minister, most of his Cabinet, and civilian members of a governing council. The coup comes two years after mass protests toppled Sudan’s longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. News outlets are reporting at least 10 protesters have been shot dead during today’s protests demanding an end to military rule.
Al-Tayeb Mohamed Ahmed: “They fired stun grenades. Then they fired live ammunition. Two people died. I saw them with my own eyes. Then they came back twice and killed one more. This is the third one I saw.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Monday’s military coup and called for the immediate release of Sudan’s prime minister and other detainees. In Washington, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the U.S. would suspend a $700 million emergency aid package for Sudan. The coup occurred just a day after the U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, was in Khartoum, where he met with both the head of Sudan’s military and the now-detained Sudanese prime minister.