A Sudanese protester has been shot dead by security forces during rallies against military rule in the greater Khartoum area, taking the death toll since a takeover in October 2021 to 125.
The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, an opposition-aligned group, said Ibrahim Al Ameen, 25, was shot in the chest on Tuesday in Sharq El Nile district.
In central Khartoum, police used tear gas to disperse protesters when they approached the Nile-side Republican Palace. There were also protests in Omdurman, one of three towns making up the Sudanese capital.
Police said they were investigating Mr Al Ameen’s death. Protesters were engaged in “excessive violence” in the Sharq El Nile district on Tuesday, torching three police vehicles and pelting officers with firebombs and rocks, they said.
Several officers were injured, police added.
The latest protests came as Sudan’s ruling generals negotiate a settlement with political parties and groups that would see the military hand power to a civilian-led government for two years until elections are held.
The October 25, 2021 takeover derailed Sudan’s democratic transition following the 2019 removal from power of Omar Al Bashir following a popular uprising against his 29-year rule.
The continuing negotiations, which are building on a preliminary deal reached in December, are taking place as the country’s economic woes worsen and tensions grow between the army and a powerful paramilitary with roots in the war in the western Darfur region in the 2000s.
The December deal provides for the integration into the armed forces of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). But it is widely believed that its commander, Gen Mohamed Dagalo, is reluctant to give up his control of his well-armed and combat-seasoned men, losing much of his leverage.
Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, the army chief who led the 2021 coup, has said he would refuse to sign a political deal that does not include a precise timeline on the integration of the RSF into the army.
Gen Dagalo has also said he wants a “single” army in Sudan, but never went into the details of how that objective can be realised.
Both generals are suspected of harbouring presidential ambitions, with the pair manoeuvring to secure immunity from future prosecution and the support of influential groups.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.