United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses a ceremony to mark World Peace Day, observed every year on Sept. 21, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 20, 2019.  (Photo: Xinhua)

 

The UN chief Antonio Guterres denounced as "disturbing" reports that Iraqi security forces have fired live ammunition at anti-government protesters in Baghdad, as mass rallies continued to rock the capital and southern Iraq. 

The demonstrations broke out on October 1 in anger over corruption and unemployment but have morphed into demands that the entire ruling system be upended. 

The violence has left nearly 280 dead, with security ­forces resuming their use of live rounds on Monday after nearly two weeks of using volleys of tear gas, but no firearms, to push back protesters.

Guterres expressed his "serious concern over the rising number of deaths and injuries during the ongoing demonstrations in Iraq."

"Reports of the continued use of live ammunition against demonstrators are disturbing," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

He called for all acts of violence to be investigated "seriously" and renewed his appeal for "meaningful dialogue between the government and demonstrators."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said security forces were instructed to use force if protesters got close to important government buildings including the central bank.

One in five people live in poverty in oil-rich Iraq and youth unemployment stands at 25 percent, according to the World Bank.