Sudanese forces use tear gas to control widespread protests

Protests broke out in several Sudanese cities on Thursday including the capital Khartoum, witnesses said, following calls for mass rallies. Police fired tear gas at protesters in the Burri neighbourhood of Khartoum and in the north of the capital, a Reuters witness and other witnesses said. There were also protests in several areas of Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city.

In the eastern city of al-Qadarif, hundreds of protesters gathered in the area of the main market, chanting "Down, that's it! Freedom, freedom." Protests triggered by a worsening economic crisis have spread across Sudan since Dec. 19, with many calling for an end to President Omar al-Bashir's three-decade rule.