Two killed, 15 injured as protests turn ugly in Sudan
Demonstrators gather outside the army headquarters in Sudan's capital Khartoum on May 11, 2021. Two people were killed and 15 injured during the protests.
Two people were killed while 15 others were wounded in a deadly shooting as crowds gathered at Sudan’s military headquarters to mark the anniversary of a violent confrontation which erupted two years ago.
A Sudanese medical rescue committee said the dead were shot as they gathered to celebrate their compatriots who were “martyred” in 2019, during a sit-in to force reforms in the security sector.
On Tuesday night, a group of Sudanese protesters and the families of those who had been killed held an Iftar in the vicinity of the army headquarters in commemoration of the second anniversary of the breakup of the sit-in at the army headquarters.
‘Gone missing’
Hundreds of the protesters had “gone missing” in 2019 and the investigations conducted by the transitional government did not yield any prosecutions.
On June 3, 2019, (usually known as Ramadan 29), the Sudanese authorities dispersed a sit-in of protesters in front of the army's general headquarters, which resulted in the killing of hundreds of the demonstrators.
Following new violence, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said culprits of the killings should be brought to justice. He described it as a "full-fledged crime" and pledged to open a speedy investigation.
Hamdok said in a statement after an emergency meeting held on Wednesday that "the slowness of the justice system in uncovering crimes and bringing criminals to trial has become an issue of concern" and that it violates the aspirations of those who demanded changes in administration two years ago.
The meeting was attended by the ministers of Defence, Interior and Justice, the director of the General Intelligence Service and the Attorney-General. They discussed the events on Tuesday evening.
“As part of our responsibility, we will call for urgent meetings for all components of the partnership to review and correct the path," Hamdok announced on Twitter.
Army investigation
For its part, the Sudanese army announced the formation of an investigation committee to determine the circumstances of the events in the vicinity of the General Command.
The General Command of the Armed Forces issued a statement confirming that it had not issued any instructions to the forces protecting its perimeter to use live ammunition on citizens.
A statement published by the official Sudan News Agency, said that the General Command of the Armed Forces regretted the events that occurred during the marches and promised adequate investigations.
