At least 14 people have been killed as demonstrations continue to embroil Sudan.

A total number of 22 people have died since the weekend - including five soldiers - according to activists behind the movement.

Tuesday's deaths came as Sudanese security forces tried to break up an anti-government sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum for a second time.

Image: Protests have raged through Sudan

Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and live fire to try to disperse the protesters, according to Sudanese Professionals Association, which is spearheading the demonstrations.

Anti-government protests have been taking place for four months in anger over a struggling economy - with growing calls for President Omar al Bashir to end his 30-year rule.

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For the first time on Monday, leaders of the protests called for the military's leaders to abandon the president. They followed up on Tuesday by inviting the leaders to meet for discussions.

Image: More than 20 people have died in the protests

Their appeal was rebuffed, with Major General Ahmed Khalifa al Shami saying the military has nothing to do with political matters.

Footage posted online on Tuesday showed some Sudanese troops working to protect the protesters and guarding the entrance to the sit-in demonstration.

The Sudan Doctors Committee said at least 153 people had been wounded since Saturday.

On Tuesday, Norway, the UK and the US backed the protesters' demands and called for a "credible plan" for political transition.

Amnesty International said authorities in Khartoum shut off the water supply to where the sit-in is, and that cars were being searched and seized by security forces if they were found to be taking food and water to protesters.

Image: Activists are calling for President Omar al-Bashir to step down.

"The move by the authorities to try to starve protesters and deny them access to communication is a clear attempt to silence and deny protesters their human rights," said Joan Nyanyuki, the group's director for the region.

Sudan's interior minister Bishara Gomaa told the parliament on Monday that at least seven people had been killed in the protests since Saturday - six in Khartoum and the seventh in the Darfur region.

No further comment on the latest reported deaths have been issued.</s>Loyalists of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir called for a support rally in Khartoum on Thursday as protesters demanding his resignation massed outside army headquarters for a fifth straight day.

"The National Congress Party's executive bureau supports the national dialogue partners' initiative to organise a gathering to be seen by all the people on Thursday," the acting chief of Bashir's ruling party, Ahmed Harun, said in a statement issued late on Tuesday.

"I call on all members of NCP across the state of Khartoum to participate in this rally."

Harun said the rally aims to "show that there are social and political powers that are committed towards peace, security and stability in Sudan".

In March, Bashir handed his powers as party leader to Harun as part of top level changes he made in the face of the protests that erupted against his rule in December.

The National Congress Party was formed a few years after Bashir took power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989.</s>KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Eleven people were killed in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Tuesday, including six members of “state forces”, the government’s spokesman said on Wednesday, as protesters pushed for an end to President Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year rule.

Uniformed personnel from Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) twice tried to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters camped outside the Defence Ministry, the minister said, citing a report by the Khartoum state police chief.

But government soldiers guarding the compound came out both times to protect the demonstrators, firing shots in the air and deploying troops around the area.

The protests are the most sustained challenge Bashir has faced in his three decades in power.

The Defence Ministry is in a compound that also houses Bashir’s residence and the NISS headquarters.

The government spokesman and Information Minister Hassan Ismail said the Khartoum state police chief had delivered a report stating that 11 people had died in “incidents yesterday (Tuesday), including six members of the regular forces”. He gave no further details on how they died.

Ismail also quoted the police chief as saying the authorities had foiled a “criminal plot” to burn down some police stations in some parts of the capital.

NISS warned in a statement that it had detected “negative developments” towards vandalism, theft and terrorising innocent people and said it was ready to act.

“The service calls on honourable citizens to be careful of attempts to drag the country towards a complete security breakdown,” the statement said.

It added that it was able to “rein in the unruly elements through good advice or by force within the limits of the law”.

The head of the main opposition Umma Party, Sadiq al-Mahdi, said on Tuesday that around 20 people have been killed and dozens wounded in dawn attacks on the sit-in outside the defence ministry since it began on Saturday.

Soldiers were heavily deployed around a sit-in outside the Defence Ministry on Wednesday, as several thousand protesters danced, sang and chanted slogans calling on Bashir to step down.

Some watched soccer matches on giant television screens mounted on special trucks.

The demonstrators have been camped outside the compound since Saturday in an escalation of protests that have shaken Sudan since December.

Sudan’s Health Ministry reported that Khartoum hospitals had treated 72 cases of people suffering from tear gas and 16 minor injuries. First aid vehicles were stationed near the protest site to deal with emergency cases, it said.

There were no reports of attempts to disperse the protests on Wednesday. The sit-in area had expanded slightly, with hundreds of people entering and leaving despite temperatures rising above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), a Reuters witness said. Some people blocked streets to the east of the compound with stones.

Protesters chanted “Fall, that’s all!”, “The people want to build a new Sudan”, and “Our army protects us”.

Military trucks and troops were deployed around the compound, stopping cars from entering the area. Police and NISS forces appeared not to be present.

“With the army’s presence, we feel safe. The army is protecting us and we will continue the sit-in until the regime falls,” said Ayman Abdullah, a 23-year-old engineering graduate taking part in the sit-in.

Videos posted by the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, the main protest organiser, and others on social media showed demonstrators dancing, singing and chanting slogans.

A video shared by the opposition Sudanese Congress Party showed a large group of protesters marching towards the sit-in and cheering with a massive Sudanese flag draped over them.

Since Dec. 19, Sudan has been rocked by persistent protests sparked by the government’s attempt to raise the price of bread, and an economic crisis including fuel and cash shortages.

Opposition figures have called for the military to help negotiate an end to Bashir’s nearly three decades in power and a transition to democracy.</s>(Bloomberg) -- Sudan’s military said it rejected any use of violence to quell the protests against embattled President Omar al-Bashir, as security forces tried to storm an anti-government demonstration in the capital.

As four months of anti-government unrest intensified, the military said that protesters could only be dispersed through peaceful means, al-Hadath, a pan-Arab satellite channel, reported. The military also reaffirmed its commitment to al-Bashir, who’s ruled the North African nation since a 1989 coup.

Protesters said government forces attacked an anti-government sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum early Tuesday, causing an unclear number of injuries. One witness, Ammar Abdul Magid, said the military allowed hundreds of protesters into the base to protect them.

It’s the latest escalation of the political crisis that began with nationwide protests over soaring living costs in mid-December and morphed into calls for al-Bashir’s ouster. Demonstrators have gathered outside the army HQ since Saturday, urging the military to support their uprising.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mohammed Alamin in Khartoum at malamin1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn, Tarek El-Tablawy</s>he Sudanese government has said 11 people were killed on Tuesday in the capital Khartoum, including six members of the state security forces.

They died when the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) tried to disperse thousands of demonstrators who were calling on President Omar al-Bashir to step down.

Some soldiers helped protect the protesters and even shot back in the direction of the security personnel. The anti-government demonstrations began in December but intensified on Saturday.

Since then thousands of protesters have been holding a sit-in outside the military headquarters. -BBC Africa</s>CAIRO (AP) - Activists behind anti-government demonstrations in Sudan say security forces have killed at least seven people, including a military officer, in another attempt to break up a sit-in outside the military headquarters in the capital.

Sarah Abdel-Jaleel, spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association, says clashes erupted early on Tuesday between security forces and protesters who have been camping out in front of the complex in Khartoum since the weekend.

The new deaths brought the total number of people killed by the security forces since Saturday to 15.

Abdel-Jaleel says at least 30 protesters were wounded in the violence. A government spokesman didn't respond to calls seeking comment.

The demonstrations began in December over an economic crisis but quickly escalated into calls for an end to President Omar al-Bashir's 30-year rule.

Protesters rally in front of the military headquarters in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, April 8, 2019. Organizers behind anti-government demonstrations in Sudan said security forces attempted to break up a sit-in outside the military headquarters. A spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association told The Associated Press that clashes erupted early Monday between security forces and protesters, who have been camped out in front of the complex in Khartoum since Saturday. (AP Photo)

Protesters rally in front of the military headquarters in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, April 8, 2019. Organizers behind anti-government demonstrations in Sudan said security forces attempted to break up a sit-in outside the military headquarters. A spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association told The Associated Press that clashes erupted early Monday between security forces and protesters, who have been camped out in front of the complex in Khartoum since Saturday. (AP Photo)

A protesters holds up a poster showing depicting Mahjoub El Taj Mahjoub, a second year student at the Faculty of Medicine of El Razi University, who was allegedly tortured and beaten to death by the National Intelligence and Security Service in January, at a rally in front of the military headquarters in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, April 8, 2019. Organizers behind anti-government demonstrations in Sudan said security forces attempted to break up a sit-in outside the military headquarters. (AP Photo)

Protesters rally in front of the military headquarters in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, April 8, 2019. Organizers behind anti-government demonstrations in Sudan said security forces attempted to break up a sit-in outside the military headquarters. A spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association told The Associated Press that clashes erupted early Monday between security forces and protesters, who have been camped out in front of the complex in Khartoum since Saturday. (AP Photo)

A protester holds up a police shield at a rally in front of the military headquarters in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, April 8, 2019. Organizers behind anti-government demonstrations in Sudan said security forces attempted to break up a sit-in outside the military headquarters. A spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association told The Associated Press that clashes erupted early Monday between security forces and protesters, who have been camped out in front of the complex in Khartoum since Saturday. (AP Photo)</s>As thousands of protesters in Khartoum demand President Omar al-Bashir resignation, demonstrators have called for the Sudanese military to back them.

So far the army has not intervened, but agents of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and riot police have cracked down on demonstrators.

Bashir — in power for nearly 30 years — has refused demands to make way for a transitional government.

AFP spoke to conflict specialist Roland Marchal, a researcher at Sciences Po in Paris, about what could happen next.

“There are important debates within the army. The top echelons have been appointed by President Omar al-Bashir, but they are also officers with families.”

“The trigger for the crisis is the economic situation. There are also debates about corruption in the regime, about Bashir’s personal situation, and about the intervention in Yemen (Sudan joined a Saudi-led coalition against Shiite rebels in Yemen).”

“Bakri Hassan Saleh (vice president, close to Bashir) was dismissed on February 22. He had been seen as a main representative of the army since 1989.”

“There is also the issue about armed groups… and so many questions about what neighbouring countries will do… But that does not mean the army will necessarily switch sides and back the demonstrators.”

“It may be a turning point because the question of Bashir’s departure is openly raised.”

“The protesters are not politically structured. People are very dissatisfied but that’s not enough. Nevertheless, the government has very limited choices to resolve this crisis.”

“People who protest are also the children of the regime. And a bloody repression would lead to a reaction.”

“The EU, for example, would be forced out speak out. So far the EU has been very cautious because it is worried about chaos, migration, radical Islamism… and Bashir’s Sudan, at least, they know it. People do not like it, but it is a relationship without surprises.”</s>Heavy gunfire was heard at a protest outside the defence ministry in Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Tuesday, live broadcast by Arab TV stations showed, and activists said that security forces were trying to break up the protest by force. Activists said in a statement posted on social media that army soldiers guarding the ministry were trying to protect the demonstrators.

Both Al-Hadath TV and Al Jazeera broadcast live footage in which heavy gunfire was heard and people were running for cover. They said it was an attempt by security forces to disperse the demonstrators.

Sudan has been rocked by months of small but persistent protests that were sparked by bread price rises and cash shortages. The demonstrations later turned against President Omar al-Bashir, a former paratrooper who had been in office since 1989.

The protests escalated on Saturday, when activists, trying to push the country’s armed forces to side with them, marched towards a compound in the centre of the capital housing the defence ministry as well as Bashir’s residence and the country’s security headquarters and camped out there.

Security forces have made several attempts to break up the protest, but army soldiers have repeatedly come out to protect the demonstrators, often firing shots in the air and deploying soldiers on streets around the protesters.</s>Sudanese activists: 7 more killed in clashes with police

CAIRO (AP) — Activists behind anti-government demonstrations in Sudan say security forces have killed at least seven people, including a military officer, in another attempt to break up a sit-in outside the military headquarters in the capital.

Sarah Abdel-Jaleel, spokeswoman for the Sudanese Professionals Association, says clashes erupted early on Tuesday between security forces and protesters who have been camping out in front of the complex in Khartoum since the weekend.

The new deaths brought the total number of people killed by the security forces since Saturday to 15.

Abdel-Jaleel says at least 30 protesters were wounded in the violence. A government spokesman didn't respond to calls seeking comment.

The demonstrations began in December over an economic crisis but quickly escalated into calls for an end to President Omar al-Bashir's 30-year rule.</s>CAIRO (Reuters) - A senior leader of the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, the main anti-government protest organizer, called on Tuesday for demonstrators to continue a sit-in outside the defense ministry compound in Khartoum.

In remarks to Reuters, he also said that his group wants a civilian transitional government and would not negotiate with the administration of President Omar al-Bashir.
Heavy gunfire is reported in the Sudanese capital Khartoum as Rapid Support Forces loyal to President Omar al-Bashir attempted to break-up an anti-government protest outside the military's headquarters, killing at least 14 people, including five Sudanese soldiers who defected to the opposition.