Sudan: Gunfire reported in Khartoum during protests June 1 /update 79

Event

Activists in Khartoum accused security forces opening firing on protesters in the capital on Saturday, June 1. According to local reports, soldiers and other security personnel blocked off Nile Street on Saturday afternoon, near a sit-in. At least one person was reportedly killed and another ten wounded in the shooting. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), one of the main organizers of the protests, denounced the use of live ammunition and vowed to continue holding peaceful demonstrations. Tensions remain high in the country and further clashes between protesters and security forces are possible.

The SPA has scheduled a series of events and demonstrations in Khartoum and other major cities from June 1 through Friday, June 7, to demand the handover of power to the Transitional Civil Authority (TCA). Speeches and processions will be held on Saturday outside of the main sit-in near the General Command in Khartoum. Associated marches and sit-ins will take place primarily in the capital during the week-long events. Heightened security measures and other disruptions are anticipated around all protest sites.

Context

President Omar al-Bashir was removed from office on April 11 following a military coup led by Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf. Following the formation of the Supreme Security Committee, Ibn Auf announced that the military had dissolved the government, suspended the constitution, and would rule the country for two years in a transitional government - known as the Transitional Military Council (TMC) - after which time fresh presidential elections would be held. However, Ibn Auf and his deputy resigned on April 12; Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan was later named the head of the TMC.

Opposition leaders and the TMC have since then held negotiations over the composition of the sovereign council - which would rule the country until the elections - and the duration of the transitional period, and were about to complete the agreement on a three-year transitional period, before it was halted until further notice on May 20.

A three-month state of emergency remains in place and Sudanese border crossings have been closed until further notice. The US State Department issued a notice on April 11 calling for all non-emergency government employees to evacuate from Sudan as a precaution. US diplomatic authorities have also warned US citizens to refrain from all travel to the country until further notice.

Advice

Individuals in Sudan, particularly those in Khartoum and surrounding areas, are advised to closely monitor the situation, refrain from all nonessential travel, remain vigilant of their surroundings and be aware of possible spontaneous protest activities, adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments, and avoid all public gatherings and common demonstration sites due to the risk of violence and arrest.