Thousands of demonstrators have rallied in cities across Sudan to demand full civilian rule, marking the first anniversary of a military coup that upended the nation’s short-lived transition to democracy.
The largest of Tuesday’s demonstrations took place in the capital, Khartoum.
The Sudan Doctors Committee said in a statement one protester died after being hit by a small truck of security forces while demonstrating in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum. The person’s identity was not immediately known.
NetBlocks, an online network tracker, said early on Tuesday that internet services across the country were blocked.
Various Sudanese pro-democracy activists and local journalists reported the use of tear gas by security forces. They had earlier closed off bridges leading into Khartoum.
In a statement published late on Tuesday, the Sudanese police accused the demonstrators of attacking various military sites. The police said rebel groups and “sleeper cells” were operating among the demonstrators and targeting security forces with explosive devices. Their statement provided no evidence. It did not mention any death.
Since its takeover, the military has cracked down and suppressed near-weekly pro-democracy marches, with as many as 118 protesters killed, according to Sudan Doctors Committee records.