Protesters Killed During Sudan Anti-Coup Rallies

During the rallies against last year’s military coup, Sudanese security forces killed at least three protesters, stated medics and an activist, before a visit by U.S. diplomats seeking to revive a transition to civilian rule.

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Nazim Sirag, an activist, showed three protesters killed Monday by security forces; as they opened fire to stop a march held in Khartoum. He added that the gunshots injured civilians. Three protesters "were killed by live bullets," reads a statement on Facebook posted by the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD)

A Reuters witness said that a thousand protesters marched against military rule towards the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum. The security forces answered with volleys of tear gas. Since the military coup last October 25, many protesters have taken to the streets, demanding a return to civilian rule.

Monday's killings raised the death toll to 67 protesters killed since the October coup led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Last October military takeover sparked international condemnation and diverted the fragile transition to civilian rule after al-Bashir's removal.

The United States envoy to the Horn of Africa David Satterfield and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee expected in the capital this week are the detonate of the rallies in Khartoum and Wad Madani to the south.

According to Hiba Morgan, Al Jazeera reporter from the capital, the protesters are trying to keep up the  momentum "by turning out in the thousands on the streets to show the military that they want whatever initiative that is going to result in a pure, civilian government."

"They say that is what they have been demanding and despite the 'brutal and excessive use of force,' as the United Nations termed it, they will continue protesting. They have scheduled more protests in the coming days," Morgan stated.

Sudanese authorities said on Thursday that the protesters stabbed to death a police general, the first casualty for security forces.

Sudan's authorities repeatedly denied using live ammunition during the confrontation with protesters, highlighting that dozens of security personnel have been wounded during protests that have often "deviated from peacefulness."