Mazjoob, the 125th protester to be killed in weekly demonstrations since the October 2021 coup in Sudan, was shot and killed by police forces during a protest near the capital on Tuesday. The police have since admitted that the shooting was an individual action that went against orders, and that “necessary legal procedures” have been taken against the policeman responsible.
The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors has condemned the death of Mazjoob, calling it “another crime added to the crimes of the police, the coup authority and its military council”. The protests against military rule and economic woes have been met with a violent crackdown, with hundreds of activists arrested under emergency laws.
On Tuesday, police fired tear gas at protesters marching towards the presidential palace in Khartoum and neighbouring Omdurman, according to Reuters. Khartoum State police said they were investigating the death and that protesters had been “aggressive” towards police, using tear gas, rocks and Molotov cocktails, and injuring several policemen.
The military leaders who took over in the coup are currently negotiating a deal with the civilian political parties previously in power to restore a civilian government. However, tensions have arisen within the military, with army leaders demanding a clear timeline for the integration of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces as well as a wider group of participants in the negotiation. Leaders of the Rapid Support Forces have denied any desire for tension with the military and said they are committed to forming one army.
The resistance committees, who have organised the weekly protests, have rejected the talks as elite dealings and demand the complete withdrawal of the military from power. The death of Mazjoob is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for democracy in Sudan and serves as a reminder of the need for justice and accountability for those responsible for his death.