The anti-government protests ongoing in Sudan have widen to other areas of the country.
Demonstrators on Thursday clashed with security forces in the capital Khartoum leading to the death of a 16-year old and a doctor.
A doctor in Sudan told the BBC that “Since the beginning, the security forces have responded with excessive use of power and with live ammunition.”
Dr Amjed Farid said the doctor who died had “over fourteen live bullets in his body”.
On Friday another man died from gun shots wounds after security forces fired live ammunition at hundreds of mourners in the Burri district of Khartoum.
The protests have been ongoing for five weeks now with protesters demanding an end to President Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year-old rule.
Cause of protest
The violent protests were triggered after bread prices increased from one Sudanese pound ($0.02) to three Sudanese pounds ($0.063).
Bread prices in Sudan are said to be astronomically higher as a result of the country’s economic challenges.
The prices of bread have more than tripled since the start of last year. It was caused by the government decision to stop importing wheat from overseas.
Over 40 people are reported to have so far been killed in a crackdown on these protests. In some instances protesters have also hurled stones at security forces.
Security forces are reported on several occasions shooting into the protesters to disperse them resulting in casualties.
More than 800 protesters have been arrested across Sudan since the unrest began, officials say.
Calls for Bashir’s exit
The protesters are calling for the resignation of Al-Bashir due to current economic challenges.
But the Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir has said that he would not be stampeded into leaving office.
“Demonstrations will not change the government,” he told his supporters in Niyala, the capital of South Darfur state.
“There’s only one road to power and that is through the ballot box. The Sudanese people will decide in 2020 who will govern them,” he said.
Bashir is planning to run for the presidency for the third time in elections to be held next year. The Sudanese leader also accuses what he calls external conspirators for ongoing anti-government protests.
“Sudan has many enemies and those enemies have few people among us who don’t want stability and security. We will not allow anyone to destroy our homeland by looting and burning our properties,” Bashir added.
Al-Bashir came to power in 1989 when he led a group of officers in a military coup that ousted a democratically elected government.
Since then, he has been elected three times as President in elections that have been under scrutiny for corruption.
Source: Africafeeds.com
