Sudanese patient killed by stray bullet while standing on hospital balcony

Man was suffering from a shortness of breath and had gone outside for fresh air

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  A man flashes the victory sign during a protest in Khartoum to denounce the October 2021 military coup in Sudan. AP

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  The UN said it would hold talks in Sudan to try to set the country's transition to democracy back on track. AP

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  A Sudanese man , in the capital Khartoum holds a poster that reads in Arabic: ‘No to the use of live bullets against the unarmed’ during a protest against the October 2021 military coup. AFP

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  A Sudanese woman carries a child during a protest against the October 2021 military coup. AFP

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  The coup on October 25, led by army chief General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, derailed a power-sharing transition between the military and civilians that had been painstakingly established after longtime dictator Omar Al Bashir was removed in 2019. AFP

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  People chant slogans during a protest to denounce the coup. AP

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  A Sudanese man carries the national flag during an anti-coup demonstration. AFP

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  People chant slogans during a protest to denounce the military takeover. AP

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  Sudanese protesters walk past burning tyres during a rally. AFP

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  A mask-clad Sudanese protester attends a demonstration. AFP

A Sudanese hospital patient has been killed by a stray bullet while “catching a breath of fresh air” on a balcony at Bahri Teaching Hospital in Khartoum.

Faisal Abdul Rahman, 51, was killed on Sunday at the hospital, where he was recovering from a leg amputation operation.

Sudan’s opposition medical syndicate, the Central Committee of Doctors, said Abdul Rahman was feeling shortness of breath due to the intense tear gas fired around the area by security forces amid the fourth month of protests against the ruling military council in the country.

“While he was there, he sustained a gun shot injury that killed him,” the committee wrote on its Facebook page, where it normally posts updates on the latest death and injury tolls from the protests.

The number of civilians killed since the October 25 military coup, which removed former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and sparked a new round of continuous protests, stands at 82, the council said.

On Sunday, the total number of people wounded rose by 92, mostly by tear gas canisters in the capital, Khartoum, Umdurman and Bahri.

The use of excessive force has been condemned repeatedly both internally and by the international community.

In December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was “deeply troubled” by the use of “lethal force” by security forces, who continue to use live ammunition, tear gas and stun grenades to disperse gatherings.

While the main demand by protesters is for the transition to complete civilian rule, the release of political detainees is also a concern.

The opposition Sudanese Professionals’ Association, which includes lawyers and doctors, said more than 100 people have been arbitrarily detained since October 25.

On February 14, a group of lawyers staged a demonstration demanding the immediate release of those prisoners.

“We will continue taking to the streets until we succeed, defeating the coup and achieving democracy,” said Iman, 35.

With additional reporting by Reuters