Cape Town — Sudan's capital city Khartoum has been shaken by rising deaths - now at 39 - during protests against the military's seizure of power in a coup in October 2021. The country saw its civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok placed under house arrest for not being supportive of the coup which was led by General  Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Transitional Military Council.

Local medics said that security forces shot dead at least 15 anti-coup protesters and wounded dozens more on November 17, 2021. The fatalities - all in Khartoum, mainly in its northern districts, a pro-democracy doctors' union said. Hundreds more have been wounded.

Witnesses at the protest say most of the casualties suffered gunshot wounds to the head, neck or torso, but added that the demonstrators, undeterred and behind makeshift barricades, kept up their protests well into the evening.

"The day's massacre reinforces our slogans: no negotiations, no partnership, no compromise" with the military, said protest organisers.

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Sudan's military the country stood to regain badly needed international aid if it restored the "legitimacy" of civilian government. Washington has suspended some U.S.$700 million in assistance to Sudan since the coup.

This comes as the U.S. calls for the reinstatement of Abdalla Hamdok and his Cabinet.