Sudan’s military has seized power in a coup, arrested leading civilian politicians including the prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, and declared a state of emergency as thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Khartoum in opposition.
The Sudan Doctors’ Committee said late on Monday that three protesters had been killed and 80 people wounded after security forces fired on demonstrators.
As night fell in Khartoum, witnesses described gangs of young men armed with sticks reportedly beating anyone found on the streets.
Sudan has been on edge since a failed coup plot last month unleashed recriminations between military and civilian groups who have been sharing power since the toppling of the autocrat Omar al-Bashir two years ago.
Large parts of the internet and mobile phone network were cut off in the immediate aftermath of the coup. As protesters blocked streets and set fire to tyres in the capital and its twin city of Omdurman, security forces used teargas to disperse protesters who chanted: “The people are stronger, stronger,” and: “Retreat is not an option!”
