Khartoum, June 14: For the first time, Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) has on Thursday admitted it ordered to disperse the sit-ins demonstrations outside military’s headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, which claimed lives of several, as African and the United States diplomats ratcheted up efforts to resolve the issue and conclude a solution to the nation’s political turmoil.
The TMC spokesperson Shams al-Din Kabashi has on Thursday said it had “decided to disperse the sit-in”, according to Al-Jazeera news reports.
Sudan military admits it ordered brutal crackdown on protesters.
The military council says it 'regrets that some mistakes happened' during the deadly crackdown – which left over 120 dead https://t.co/yHt8ONGTou pic.twitter.com/48We5iKlJf
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 14, 2019
Sudanese protesters had stage mass sit-in demonstrations outside the military’s headquarters for several weeks after the forced resignation of ex-President Omar al-Bashir.
Moreover, the pro-democracy protesters continued their agitation, demanding the military body to hand over the power to a civilian-led transitional body.
“We ordered the commanders to come up with a plan to disperse this sit-in. They made a plan and implemented it … but we regret that some mistakes happened,” TMC spokesperson Kabashi said on Thursday.
After concluding the conference, the spokesperson said the original plan was to sweep off protesters from the area called Colombia which is usually inhabited with illegal drug peddlers, however then “we regret what happened”.
He further added the findings of the probe into the incident is expected to be released by Saturday.
About one week ago, Sudanese security forces began sweeping off protesters and camps that had demonstrated holding sit-ins outside the military’s headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, that claimed the lives of more than 100 people.
TMC has on Monday blamed protesters for the deadly crackdown, as demonstration continued to take place on the second day of the civil disobedience.
A lieutenant from the ruling TMC, general Jamaleddine Omar, has on Monday stated the protesters have committed crimes by shutting off roads and blocking it by setting up barricades.
Omar said the Rapid Support Forces and the military have ratcheted up their presence around the nation in order “to restore life back to normal”. The Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary body, was accused of violently trying to disperse the week-long sit-ins protest camps last week.
However, the TMC and opposition alliance with protesters have on Tuesday agreed to resume their stalled negotiations to establish a transitional body to rule the nation after a deadly crackdown on demonstrators and their camps amid civil disobedience, according to Ethiopian envoy.
“The Freedom and Change alliance agreed to end the civil disobedience (campaign) from today,” said Drir, who was charged with mediation since his an official visit by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last week.
Also read:
- Sudan almost suffers internet blackout as landline connections cut amidst civil disobedience
- Amidst civil disobedience, Sudanese military blames protesters for deadly crackdown
- Sudan’ TMC, opposition alliance to resume negotiations to form ruling transitional body