Sudanese protester dies of wounds, death toll rises to 63

By Talal Ismail
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) – A Sudanese protester died of his injuries on Monday, taking the death toll from protests against the military takeover in Sudan to 63, according to local medics.

In a statement, the independent Central Doctors Committee said a 16-year-old youth was injured in the head during Sunday’s protests against the military and succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

There was no comment from the Sudanese authorities on the report.

Sudan has been in turmoil since Oct. 25 when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency.

Prior to the military takeover, Sudan was governed by a sovereign council of military and civilian officials tasked with overseeing the transition period until elections in 2023.

Hamdok resigned Jan. 2, six weeks after he returned to his post in a deal with army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, an agreement rejected by most political groups in Sudan.

On Saturday, the UN mission in Sudan launched a UN-facilitated intra-Sudanese political process in an effort to salvage the country’s transition to democracy.

However, the Sudanese Professionals Association, an activist coalition in the protests against former President Omar al-Bashir, rejected the UN call, demanding the “complete overthrow of the military council and bringing its members to justice” as a first step towards ending Sudan’s political crisis.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara