TheCable

Three protesters were reportedly shot dead by the Sudanese security forces during a protest against the military coup that took place in the country.

The security forces also fired teargas at the protesters.

Military forces, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had, on Monday, arrested some members of Sudan’s transitional government and other civilian leaders.

The transitional government, made up of both civilian and military representatives, was supposed to oversee a return to full civilian rule, following the ousting of Omar al-Bashir in April 2009.

Pro-democracy groups had called for protests across the country to demand the release of the detainees and the reinstatement of the deposed transitional government.

The protesters, who converged on Khartoum, the capital, and Omdurman, on Saturday, reportedly marched into the streets, chanting “revolution, revolution”, “Give it up, Burhan” to protest against the coup that is threatening to derail the country’s transition to democracy.

The protesters called for the removal of the ruling military council and the handover of the government to civilians.

They also demanded the dissolution of  paramilitary groups and restructuring of the military, intelligence and security agencies.

According to a statement issued by the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors (CCSD), a third protester died on Saturday.

“A third civilian passed away today. A 19-year-old male passed away from a chest wound sustained by bullet shot from Transitional Military Council (TMC) militias,” the statement reads.

At least nine people have been reportedly killed since the coup, while over 150 others have been injured.