Furious Sudanese anti-coup protesters vowed to press ahead Friday with a campaign of civil disobedience, following deadly clashes with security forces during demonstrations against a widely condemned military takeover.

At least eight people have been killed and 170 wounded in protests since the army's power grab earlier this week, including one demonstrator who died in violence overnight Thursday when security forces fired tear gas and live and rubber-tipped bullets, according to medics.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/african-union-suspends-sudan-after-military-coup-khartoum-airport-to-be-reopened-424468">African Union suspends Sudan after military coup; Khartoum airport to be reopened</a>

As the country braces for major demonstrations planned for Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the military "to show restraint and not to create any more victims", saying people "must be allowed to demonstrate peacefully".

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan -- Sudan's de facto leader since the 2019 ouster of veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir after huge youth-led protests -- on Monday dissolved the country's civilian-led government and ordered the arrest of several top officials.

Sudan had been ruled since August 2019 by a joint civilian-military council, alongside Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's administration, as part of the now stalled transition to full civilian rule.

Hamdok has been placed under effective house arrest, while other civilian leaders are in military detention. The capital has been rocked by days of unrest.

"Confronting peaceful protesters with gunfire is something that should not be tolerated," said protester Haitham Mohamed in Khartoum. "It will not make us back down; it only strengthens our resolve."

'Grave setback'&nbsp;

Amnesty International said security forces killed at least six people and wounded 140 others "by shooting live rounds into multiple crowds of protesters in the capital Khartoum" on Monday.

"Sudan's military leaders, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, must make no mistake about it: the world is watching and will not tolerate further bloodshed," the rights group said in a statement.

Burhan, a senior general under the three decades of Bashir's iron-fisted rule, has insisted the military's takeover "was not a coup" but only meant to "rectify the course of the Sudanese transition".

At Friday prayers in a mosque -- broadcast on state-run Sudan TV and well-attended by soldiers in uniform -- the imam echoed that rhetoric, urging worshippers not to call it a "coup" but rather a "well-timed rectification".

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/military-coup-in-sudan-pm-ministers-and-officials-detained-internet-access-cut-off-423768">Military coup in Sudan:&nbsp;PM, ministers, and officials detained, internet access cut off</a>

"Our loyalty and love should be for the security forces," he said. "We should not harm them."

On Friday, soldiers from the regular army and the much-feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces patrolled the streets of Khartoum, as well as Khartoum-North and the capital's twin city Omdurman across the Nile River.

Heavily armed security forces tore down protest barricades of tyres and rocks blocking roads, and carried out random searches of people and cars.

"The military is no different than the previous regime," protester Mohamed added.

The internet has been widely blocked, and shops are largely closed in Khartoum. Many civil servants are refusing to work until the transitional government is restored.

The coup was the latest in the impoverished country, which has experienced only rare democratic interludes since independence in 1956 and spent decades riven by civil war.

'Resist'&nbsp;

It prompted international condemnation and several punitive measures, with the World Bank and the United States freezing aid, which will hit a country already mired in a dire economic crisis hard.

The coup was a "grave setback", US President Joe Biden said Thursday, while the African Union has suspended Sudan's membership for the "unconstitutional" takeover.

Protesters are gearing up for what they claim will be a "million" strong march against the military on Saturday.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-anti-coup-protests-sudan-suspends-inbound-and-outbound-flights-424205">Amid anti-coup protests, Sudan suspends inbound and outbound flights</a>

Their slogans are clear: "Burhan, leave power", and "Burhan to Kober!" -- referring to the high-security prison in Khartoum where Bashir is behind bars.

Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi, the daughter of Sudan's last democratically elected prime minister who was ousted in Bashir's 1989 military coup, is one of the few civilian leaders not in detention, and has become a leading critic of Burhan.

"We clearly reject any coup... we also resist it with all civil means," she told Al Arabiya television.

Multiple Sudanese diplomatic missions -- including to the US, China and the European Union -- have openly rejected the military seizure of power, prompting Burhan to sack them.

Earlier this week, soldiers seized control of the state news agency SUNA, forcing journalists out, while on Friday they targeted the Al Democraty newspaper.

Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas on Friday demanded the release of arrested officials, calling on people to continue their protests "until victory".

Furious Sudanese anti-coup protesters vowed to press ahead Friday with a campaign of civil disobedience, following deadly clashes with security forces during demonstrations against a widely condemned military takeover.

Furious Sudanese anti-coup protesters vowed to press ahead Friday with a campaign of civil disobedience, following deadly clashes with security forces during demonstrations against a widely condemned military takeover. At least eight people have been killed and 170 wounded in protests since the army's power grab earlier this week, including one demonstrator who died in violence overnight Thursday when security forces fired tear gas and live and rubber-tipped bullets, according to medics. Also Read | African Union suspends Sudan after military coup; Khartoum airport to be reopened As the country braces for major demonstrations planned for Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the military "to show restraint and not to create any more victims", saying people "must be allowed to demonstrate peacefully". General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan -- Sudan's de facto leader since the 2019 ouster of veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir after huge youth-led protests -- on Monday dissolved the country's civilian-led government and ordered the arrest of several top officials. Sudan had been ruled since August 2019 by a joint civilian-military council, alongside Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's administration, as part of the now stalled transition to full civilian rule. Hamdok has been placed under effective house arrest, while other civilian leaders are in military detention. The capital has been rocked by days of unrest. "Confronting peaceful protesters with gunfire is something that should not be tolerated," said protester Haitham Mohamed in Khartoum. "It will not make us back down; it only strengthens our resolve." 'Grave setback' Amnesty International said security forces killed at least six people and wounded 140 others "by shooting live rounds into multiple crowds of protesters in the capital Khartoum" on Monday. "Sudan's military leaders, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, must make no mistake about it: the world is watching and will not tolerate further bloodshed," the rights group said in a statement. Burhan, a senior general under the three decades of Bashir's iron-fisted rule, has insisted the military's takeover "was not a coup" but only meant to "rectify the course of the Sudanese transition". At Friday prayers in a mosque -- broadcast on state-run Sudan TV and well-attended by soldiers in uniform -- the imam echoed that rhetoric, urging worshippers not to call it a "coup" but rather a "well-timed rectification". Also Read | Military coup in Sudan: PM, ministers, and officials detained, internet access cut off "Our loyalty and love should be for the security forces," he said. "We should not harm them." On Friday, soldiers from the regular army and the much-feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces patrolled the streets of Khartoum, as well as Khartoum-North and the capital's twin city Omdurman across the Nile River. Heavily armed security forces tore down protest barricades of tyres and rocks blocking roads, and carried out random searches of people and cars. "The military is no different than the previous regime," protester Mohamed added. The internet has been widely blocked, and shops are largely closed in Khartoum. Many civil servants are refusing to work until the transitional government is restored. The coup was the latest in the impoverished country, which has experienced only rare democratic interludes since independence in 1956 and spent decades riven by civil war. 'Resist' It prompted international condemnation and several punitive measures, with the World Bank and the United States freezing aid, which will hit a country already mired in a dire economic crisis hard. The coup was a "grave setback", US President Joe Biden said Thursday, while the African Union has suspended Sudan's membership for the "unconstitutional" takeover. Protesters are gearing up for what they claim will be a "million" strong march against the military on Saturday. Also Read | Amid anti-coup protests, Sudan suspends inbound and outbound flights Their slogans are clear: "Burhan, leave power", and "Burhan to Kober!" -- referring to the high-security prison in Khartoum where Bashir is behind bars. Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi, the daughter of Sudan's last democratically elected prime minister who was ousted in Bashir's 1989 military coup, is one of the few civilian leaders not in detention, and has become a leading critic of Burhan. "We clearly reject any coup... we also resist it with all civil means," she told Al Arabiya television. Multiple Sudanese diplomatic missions -- including to the US, China and the European Union -- have openly rejected the military seizure of power, prompting Burhan to sack them. Earlier this week, soldiers seized control of the state news agency SUNA, forcing journalists out, while on Friday they targeted the Al Democraty newspaper. Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas on Friday demanded the release of arrested officials, calling on people to continue their protests "until victory".

Sudanese vow to keep up protests after deadly clashes

New clashes erupted Thursday between Venezuelan riot police and President Nicolas Maduro&#39;s opponents, inflaming tensions after a day of deadly unrest in the beleaguered oil-rich nation.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to break up thousands of marchers as they reached a vital freeway in Caracas, then edged back slightly as masked protesters pelted them with stones and Molotov cocktails.

Demonstrators vowed not to flinch in their campaign to oust Maduro, despite three weeks of protest violence that has left eight people dead, including three on Wednesday.

&quot;Sure we&#39;re tired, but we&#39;ve got to stand strong. I&#39;m ready to take to the streets every day if I have to,&quot; said 22-year-old student Aquiles Aldazoro.

Protesters set fire to trash bins and tore down a billboard to barricade themselves in, as officers fired water cannon at them and a police helicopter hovered overhead.

&quot;I don&#39;t care if I inhale gas, I don&#39;t care if I die. We have to put a stop to this murdering, repressing government,&quot; said Natasha Borges, 17.

One protester, completely naked except for sneakers, walked up to police and shouted: &quot;Please, stop gas-bombing us.&quot;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Photo from April 19 in Caracas captures the struggle vs. dictatorship. Please note teargas, and people forced to flee into the sewer, below <a href="https://t.co/D4Re0F4rh6">pic.twitter.com/D4Re0F4rh6</a>
&mdash; Thor Halvorssen (@ThorHalvorssen) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThorHalvorssen/status/855133347995144192">April 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Another draped in a Venezuelan flag defiantly marched up to an armored truck and stared it down.

Clashes also broke out in the flashpoint western city of San Cristobal, Maracaibo in the northwest and Valencia in central Venezuela.

The opposition called for new protests, a &quot;march of silence&quot; in all parts of the country on Saturday and a national road blockage on Monday.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Escalating crisis

Protesters blame Maduro -- heir of the leftist &quot;Bolivarian revolution&quot; launched by the late Hugo Chavez in 1999 -- for an economic crisis marked by severe shortages of food, medicine and basic goods.

Maduro says the protests seeking to oust him are backed by the United States.

On Thursday, Maduro said the opposition was ready to begin a political dialogue, which his opponents denied.

&quot;Today they responded in four different ways that they were ready to begin talks,&quot; the president said at an official event. But the opposition stood firm that the only dialogue possible would be on calling elections.

Henrique Capriles, the former opposition presidential candidate, posted a message on Twitter calling Maduro a &quot;dictator&quot; and a &quot;mythomaniac.&quot;

&quot;No one believes him, however, about dialogue, which the Venezuelans will do with their VOTE!&quot; Capriles tweeted.&nbsp;

Pressure on Maduro has been mounting since 2014, as falling prices for Venezuela&#39;s crucial oil exports have sent the once-booming economy into a tailspin.

The crisis has escalated since March 30, when Venezuela&#39;s Supreme Court moved to seize the powers of the legislature, the only lever of state authority not controlled by Maduro and his allies.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took part in Wednesday&#39;s marches.

A 17-year-old boy and a 23-year-old woman died after they were shot in the head by masked gunmen. Maduro&#39;s camp said a soldier outside Caracas was also killed.

The opposition accuses Maduro of letting state forces and gangs of armed thugs violently repress demonstrators.

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said one person had been arrested for the soldier&#39;s death, which he called a premeditated &quot;act of terror&quot;.

Prosecutors say they are investigating the other two protest deaths.

&nbsp;

Looters cart off food

Numerous businesses and universities remained closed -- some in tacit support of the protests, others for fear of a repeat of the previous day&#39;s violence.

Looting erupted amid the chaos Wednesday. In the Paradise neighborhood in western Caracas, looters carted off food and beer from a series of ransacked businesses, residents said.

In poor neighborhoods traditionally loyal to Maduro, some protesters have cited hunger as their reason for joining calls for his ouster.

The escalation of Venezuela&#39;s political crisis since late March has galvanized the often divided opposition in its efforts to force Maduro from power.

The president, in turn, has urged his supporters, the military and civilian militias to defend the &quot;revolution&quot;.

International concern continues to mount. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged all sides in Venezuela to make &quot;concrete gestures&quot; to ease the tension.

The European Union called the deaths of protesters &quot;highly regrettable&quot; and urged all sides to &quot;de-escalate&quot;.

&nbsp;

Elections?

The opposition has called for the military -- a pillar of Maduro&#39;s power -- to abandon him.

But the defense minister, General Vladimir Padrino Lopez, has pledged the army&#39;s &quot;unconditional loyalty.&quot;

According to a survey by pollster Venebarometro, seven in 10 Venezuelans disapprove of Maduro, whose term does not end until 2019.

The president said Wednesday he is ready for elections to put the &quot;interventionist right-wingers in their place&quot;.

Regional elections due in December were indefinitely postponed and there is still no date for local polls due this year. The next presidential election is due in December 2018.

(AFP)

The opposition accuses Maduro of letting state forces and gangs of armed thugs violently repress demonstrators

New clashes erupted Thursday between Venezuelan riot police and President Nicolas Maduro's opponents, inflaming tensions after a day of deadly unrest in the beleaguered oil-rich nation. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to break up thousands of marchers as they reached a vital freeway in Caracas, then edged back slightly as masked protesters pelted them with stones and Molotov cocktails. Demonstrators vowed not to flinch in their campaign to oust Maduro, despite three weeks of protest violence that has left eight people dead, including three on Wednesday. "Sure we're tired, but we've got to stand strong. I'm ready to take to the streets every day if I have to," said 22-year-old student Aquiles Aldazoro. Protesters set fire to trash bins and tore down a billboard to barricade themselves in, as officers fired water cannon at them and a police helicopter hovered overhead. "I don't care if I inhale gas, I don't care if I die. We have to put a stop to this murdering, repressing government," said Natasha Borges, 17. One protester, completely naked except for sneakers, walked up to police and shouted: "Please, stop gas-bombing us." Photo from April 19 in Caracas captures the struggle vs. dictatorship. Please note teargas, and people forced to flee into the sewer, below pic.twitter.com/D4Re0F4rh6 — Thor Halvorssen (@ThorHalvorssen) April 20, 2017 × Another draped in a Venezuelan flag defiantly marched up to an armored truck and stared it down. Clashes also broke out in the flashpoint western city of San Cristobal, Maracaibo in the northwest and Valencia in central Venezuela. The opposition called for new protests, a "march of silence" in all parts of the country on Saturday and a national road blockage on Monday. Escalating crisis Protesters blame Maduro -- heir of the leftist "Bolivarian revolution" launched by the late Hugo Chavez in 1999 -- for an economic crisis marked by severe shortages of food, medicine and basic goods. Maduro says the protests seeking to oust him are backed by the United States. On Thursday, Maduro said the opposition was ready to begin a political dialogue, which his opponents denied. "Today they responded in four different ways that they were ready to begin talks," the president said at an official event. But the opposition stood firm that the only dialogue possible would be on calling elections. Henrique Capriles, the former opposition presidential candidate, posted a message on Twitter calling Maduro a "dictator" and a "mythomaniac." "No one believes him, however, about dialogue, which the Venezuelans will do with their VOTE!" Capriles tweeted. Pressure on Maduro has been mounting since 2014, as falling prices for Venezuela's crucial oil exports have sent the once-booming economy into a tailspin. The crisis has escalated since March 30, when Venezuela's Supreme Court moved to seize the powers of the legislature, the only lever of state authority not controlled by Maduro and his allies. Hundreds of thousands of protesters took part in Wednesday's marches. A 17-year-old boy and a 23-year-old woman died after they were shot in the head by masked gunmen. Maduro's camp said a soldier outside Caracas was also killed. The opposition accuses Maduro of letting state forces and gangs of armed thugs violently repress demonstrators. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said one person had been arrested for the soldier's death, which he called a premeditated "act of terror". Prosecutors say they are investigating the other two protest deaths. Looters cart off food Numerous businesses and universities remained closed -- some in tacit support of the protests, others for fear of a repeat of the previous day's violence. Looting erupted amid the chaos Wednesday. In the Paradise neighborhood in western Caracas, looters carted off food and beer from a series of ransacked businesses, residents said. In poor neighborhoods traditionally loyal to Maduro, some protesters have cited hunger as their reason for joining calls for his ouster. The escalation of Venezuela's political crisis since late March has galvanized the often divided opposition in its efforts to force Maduro from power. The president, in turn, has urged his supporters, the military and civilian militias to defend the "revolution". International concern continues to mount. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged all sides in Venezuela to make "concrete gestures" to ease the tension. The European Union called the deaths of protesters "highly regrettable" and urged all sides to "de-escalate". Elections? The opposition has called for the military -- a pillar of Maduro's power -- to abandon him. But the defense minister, General Vladimir Padrino Lopez, has pledged the army's "unconditional loyalty." According to a survey by pollster Venebarometro, seven in 10 Venezuelans disapprove of Maduro, whose term does not end until 2019. The president said Wednesday he is ready for elections to put the "interventionist right-wingers in their place". Regional elections due in December were indefinitely postponed and there is still no date for local polls due this year. The next presidential election is due in December 2018. (AFP)

New Venezuela protest clashes follow deadly unrest

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