UN urges Sudan army to show ‘restraint’ at protests

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Friday that Sudan’s military must show “restraint” toward protesters, following deadly clashes between security forces and demonstrators in recent days.

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“Tomorrow there is a manifestation that is announced,” Guterres told journalists ahead of the G20 summit in Rome.

“I urge the military to show restraint and not to create any more victims. People must be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and this is essential.”

Protesters in Sudan have vowed to continue demonstrating against a power grab by the army on Monday, in which several top officials were arrested and the fragile civilian-led government dissolved.

At least eight people have been killed and 170 wounded in protests this week, which on Thursday saw security forces fire tear gas and rubber-tipped bullets at demonstrators, according to medics.

“I want to reaffirm my strong condemnation of the coup and the need to re-establish the transition system that was in place,” Guterres said.

Leaders of the world’s major economies are assembling in Rome for the first in-person G20 summit since the pandemic, with global vaccinations, economic recovery and climate change on the agenda of the October 30-31 meeting.

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