“Down with the government of hunger”
By: Maha Altamimi
On 16 Oct 2021, thousands of pro-Sudanese army protesters gathered in front of the presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum, chanting, “Down with the government of hunger.”
The latest coup follows a series of months of rising tensions in Sudan, with military and civilian factions sharing power in a shaky transitional alliance known as the Sovereignty Council after former President Omar al-Bashir was deposed in 2019.
According to the Ministry of Information, military forces invaded the Sudanese government radio station and detained two employees in Omdurman near the capital Khartoum, Monday morning.
As reports of an apparent military takeover spread throughout the country, protesters gathered in Khartoum, setting fires and erecting roadblocks.
In a statement, the Ministry of Information reported that protesters who were against the coup were shot in front of the Sudanese General Command in the capital. The ministry stated that there were casualties but did not specify how many shots were fired or who fired them.
According to the Sudanese Central Committee of Doctors, which is affiliated with the civilian component of the dissolved Sovereignty Council, three people were killed and more than 80 were injured in the incident.
Hundreds of protesters walked toward the army headquarters on Monday chanting: “We are walking with fear in our hearts and anxiousness dwells in people’s chests.”
Despite being pressured to make a statement “supporting the takeover,” as stated in a statement made by the Ministry of Information, Hamdok, the Prime Minister of Sudan called for pro-democracy activists to come in peaceful protests.
As chaos spread across the capital, flights from Khartoum International Airport were canceled, and mobile phone networks and internet access were disrupted.
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