Mass protests against military coup begin in Sudan

The massive protests called for this Saturday began in Khartoum against the military coup d'état perpetrated last Monday, with the Internet service interrupted and an appeal from different countries and organisations to the security forces to avoid violence.

The opposition Association of Sudanese Professionals reported on its Facebook account that the large marches have started from different neighbourhoods of the capital, half an hour ahead of schedule, and are heading towards the central area of Khartoum.

These large protests in the streets of Khartoum are also spreading to dozens of countries around the world where they are expected to gather in different capitals, such as Washington, Madrid and Paris.

Several countries, including the United States, as well as the UN and the European Union (EU) have called on the military and security forces to avoid violence against protesters, who are calling for the return of a civilian government after Monday's uprising led by military leader General Abdelfatah al-Burhan.

The UN special mission in Sudan has also called on the demonstrators to protest peacefully.

Protesters and security forces have clashed since the day of the military coup in clashes that have left at least 11 people dead and more than a hundred injured, according to opposition organisations and Amnesty International.

Al Burhan dissolved transitional bodies and declared a state of emergency on 25 April after a month of tensions between the military and civilian components of the government over an alleged coup attempt last month.

The executive blamed "remnants" both "inside and outside the armed forces" of former dictator Omar al-Bashir's regime, which held power for three decades until April 2019, for orchestrating the attempt, which angered the military.

Sudan's deposed prime minister, Abdullah Hamdok, was arrested on Monday, but was released a day later and is at his residence.