Sudan protester shot dead as protests flare following military-civilian meeting

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – A protester was shot dead as anti-military protests flared in parts of Khartoum and nearby Omdurman on Thursday, a week after military leaders and the former ruling civilian coalition met to break a political deadlock gripping Sudan since last year’s army coup.

The Forces of Freedom and Change described the meeting in a statement last week as a step to end what it described as a “fake” political process, in line with its aim of ending the military takeover through a political solution.

The coup ended a power-sharing arrangement agreed in 2019 with key civilian political parties following the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir.

On Thursday, the coalition released a document laying out its political vision, in advance of formal meetings with military leaders set for next week, according to a coalition source.

On Wednesday, General Abdelfattah al-Burhan said in a speech to officers that there was no room for a two-way agreement and that all parties must be included. He said the military remained committed to a U.N. and African Union-led process, which faced criticism as it launched last week.

The resistance committees that have led protests maintain a stance against any negotiation.

Protests by the committees flared in downtown Khartoum and the Burri neighbourhood, and security forces shut several key roads and bridges, causing traffic jams.

“Our position is no negotiation, no partnership, no compromise. The only solution is for the military to leave,” said Mohamed Salah, a 23-year-old protester in downtown Khartoum.

One person died after being hit by buckshot in Khartoum’s sister city Omdurman, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said in a statement, raising the number killed by security forces during protests to 102.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, additional reporting and writing by Nafisa Eltahir, Editing by William Maclean)