Monday, June 03, 2019

Sudan Security Force Crack-Down

The Sudanese military ousted Bashir in April after months of protests against his 30 years in office. Thousands of protesters camped outside the ministry, first demanding that military rulers oust Bashir and then that they hand over power to civilians. The sit-in has been the centre of a campaign to bring democratic reform to Sudan, which has been ruled by a military committee since the fall of the dictator Omar al-Bashir in April.

Security forces have used live ammunition in a major operation to disperse protestors in central Khartoum. At least five people had been killed and up to 60 injured in the attack on a sit-in in the city. Other estimates put the death toll at ten.

Witnesses reported that security forces belonging to the feared Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had surrounded and entered hospitals, firing weapons, beating medical staff and injuring protesters. The paramilitary RSF, which have been accused of systematic human rights abuses. They are led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who also serves as deputy head of the transitional military council, the country’s governing committee. By mid-morning there were reports that RSF units had taken up positions throughout the Khartoum. It is unclear if the regular military had backed the crackdown raising the prospect of a dangerous split within security forces. Experts have previously warned of a “nightmare scenario” in which infighting among militia and soldiers led to to a complete collapse of the state.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/03/sudan-khartoum-protest-gunfire-explosions-heard

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