Sudanese Medics Say One Man Shot Dead, More Than 300 Injured In Sunday’s Protests

KHARTOUM,Sudan, Dec 21 (Reuters) – One man was shot dead in Sunday’s protests against Sudan’s military leaders in which scores of people were wounded in Khartoum and other cities, medics aligned with the protest movement said on Monday.

The 28-year-old man was shot in the Sharg al-Nile area across the river from the capital Khartoum, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said in a statement.

Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in Khartoum on Sunday against the Oct. 25 military coup, drawing volleys of tear gas and stun grenades from security forces.

Protesters attempted to hold a sit-in outside the presidential palace, which they were able to reach for the first time following weeks of protests, but were dispersed after sundown.

In a separate statement, the committee said that some 331 people were injured on Sunday, including two who had been shot in the head and dozens of others who had been injured by tear gas canisters.

On Saturday, the health ministry had said in a preliminary report that 123 people were wounded as a result of what it said were clashes with police and the use of tear gas.

The protests had been called by neighbourhood resistance committees and supported by political parties under slogans rejecting military rule.

In a statement, the media adviser for military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the military and security forces would maintain Sudan’s security.

“The blatantly contentious and hostile tone (of protests) could impede a smooth democratic transition,” he said in a statement late on Sunday night, adding that the military supported the people’s ambitions for democracy.