Sudanese official says security forces attempted to rape woman during Monday protest

A Sudanese government official said on Tuesday that security forces attempted to rape a young woman during a protest against military rule in central Khartoum a day earlier, prompting calls for renewed demonstrations.

Sulaima Ishaq, who heads Sudan's Violence Against Women Unit at the Ministry of Social Development, said the woman, who was not a protester, was on a public transport bus when forces stationed near the march route fired tear gas, causing passengers to disembark.

The woman was then assaulted by several members of the security forces, Ishaq told Reuters, without giving further details.

Police did not respond to a request for comment.

In December, the United Nations said it had received 13 allegations of rape and gang rape after a December 19 attempted sit-in was dispersed in central Khartoum.

Protests rejecting an October 25 military coup have rocked Sudan for months, organised by neighbourhood-based committees.

Following reports of the assault, committees in the cities of Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman announced a spontaneous march towards the country's presidential palace. One flyer read: "Wars are not fought on women's bodies."

The incident comes as the U.N. and several countries have been critical of security crackdowns, which have killed at least 87 people since October. At least 133 people at protests were injured on Monday, including 35 by shotgun pellets, doctors aligned with the protest movement said.

Women have played a prominent role in the latest round of protests, as well as the 2019 protests that led to the ouster of former president Omar al-Bashir.