Sudanese police use teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters who set government buildings on fire in Nyala
KHARTOUM, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Sudanese police used teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters who set government buildings on fire in the biggest city in the western region of Darfur on Thursday, witnesses said.
Some 500 people took to the streets in Nyala to demonstrate against the killing of a prominent businessman on Wednesday and deteriorating security in Sudan's second-largest city, the witnesses said.
They set several government buildings on fire and burned tires, prompting police to fire teargas. "The people want to overthrow the regime," the protesters shouted before officers dispersed the crowd.
Law and order have broken down in most parts of Darfur since mainly African tribes took up arms in 2003 against Sudan's Arab-led government, which they accuse of discriminating against them. Khartoum denies this.
Violence is down from its peak in 2004-5, but has sharply picked up again this year, involving the army, rebels, rival tribes and robbers.
In July, fighting broke out in Nyala when two sets of security forces clashed after a person was killed at a checkpoint. Shops and offices of international aid groups were looted during the violence, which lasted several days, according to witnesses.
Violence in recent years had been largely confined to rural areas of Darfur.
The International Criminal Court has indicted President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and other Sudanese officials for masterminding war crimes in Darfur. Sudan has dismissed the charges as a political campaign against the African country. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
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