Sudan's army hands over results of 2019 protest killings probe

Khartoum

Sudan's army said Saturday it had handed prosecutors the results of a probe into the 2019 killing of protesters in Khartoum, after hundreds rallied this week calling for justice.

Following months of demonstrations, thousands gathered in April 2019 outside the army headquarters in Khartoum, demanding long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir step down.

The iron-fisted ruler was ousted days later, but protesters kept up the sit-in for weeks, demanding the transfer of power from military to civilian rule.

That June, armed men in military fatigues violently dispersed the camp in a days-long crackdown that left at least 128 people dead, according to medics linked to the protest movement.

Bloody dispersal

The ruling generals at the time denied ordering the bloody dispersal and called for a probe into the incident.

"General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the transitional sovereign council and the armed forces commander-in-chief handed the results of an armed forces probe into the events... to prosecutor general Tagelsir al-Hebr," the army said in a statement Saturday.

It said the results of the probe included a list of army personnel suspected to be involved in the events, as well as an order "to lift their immunity".

"This will allow for the general prosecution to take legal procedures and reach final results," the army said.

Demonstrators killed

On Tuesday, protesters had gathered outside the army headquarters to demand justice for the victims of the 2019 violence.

Security forces killed two demonstrators at the rally, fuelling further anger.

Sudan has been led since August 2019 by a civilian-majority transitional administration, which has vowed to ensure justice to the victims and their families.

Later that year, an investigation committee led by a prominent lawyer launched an independent probe into the killings but has yet to finish its inquiry.