In Sudan, the number of civilian casualties recorded since the 25 October coup has risen to 40, after a protester died of gunshot wounds sustained at a demonstration last Wednesday (17 November).
The non-governmental Sudanese Doctors Committee (SDC) said in a statement published today (Saturday) that: “This morning, the martyr Muhammad Adam Hadoun, 16-years-old, died as a result of being struck by live bullets in the head and leg during the 17 November million-person march.”
And, the SDC’s statement continued, “with this, the number of confirmed martyrs since 25 October has risen to 40.”
With Hadoun’s death, the number of casualties from Wednesday’s protest rose to 16.
Since 25 October Sudan has experienced an acute crisis, after the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, declared a state of emergency, dissolved the Sovereign Council and transitional ministries, and dismissed several regional governors. Several civilian leaders were also arrested.
Following the declaration, mass demonstrations were organised against what protestors described as a “military coup”.
Last Thursday (18 November), al-Burhan formed a new Transitional Sovereign Council, which includes four representatives of the civilian Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition, which emerged during the uprising that brought down Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Since the overthrow of al-Bashir, journalists, human-rights defenders, and others who criticise the Sudanese authorities have been at risk of arrest, threats, and harassment.