Doctors, health workers protest against security forces' violence at Sudan hospitals

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Hundreds of doctors and health workers staged a rally in Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Thursday to protest violence by security forces at healthcare facilities.

The protest was organized by the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate near the government-run Khartoum ENT Hospital.

The participants held banners urging authorities to respect the sanctity of hospitals and medical facilities.

Doctors and health workers say security forces have carried out raids at various hospitals and medical facilities to harass people who have taken part in protests demanding full civilian rule since the military seized power last October.

There was no official comment on the rally from Sudanese authorities.

Sudan has been in turmoil since Oct. 25, 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency, a move decried by political groups as a “military coup.”

Prior to the military takeover, Sudan was governed by a sovereign council of military and civilian officials tasked with overseeing the transition period until elections in 2023.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar