Protesters attacked in Port Sudan

Eyewitnesses have told Middle East Eye that armed clashes have erupted in the coastal city of Port Sudan between pro-democracy protesters and pro-military demonstrators headed by tribal leader Mohamed al-Amin Tirik.

“Followers of Tirik have attacked pro-democracy protesters in the market of the Port Sudan city,” one witness told MEE. “They used knives and swords to scare the protesters, but the police separated the two groups.”

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Earlier this month, Tirik and his supporters had shut down ports and blockaded roads in the area leading to the rest of the country - affecting the supply and distribution of food, bread, fuel and other materials - accusing the civilian branch of the government of responsibility for the 2020 Juba peace agreement, which was deemed “unfair” by some rebel groups in eastern Sudan.