Protester killed in Sudan as tensions mount between army and powerful paramilitary

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.