Khartoum, July 2: Sudanese protest leaders and ruling military officials on Monday blamed each other for one of the deadliest violence launched on the streets of Sudan on Sunday causing the death of three people a day after the fresh mass rally – “millions march” – since a military crackdown over marchers.
According to Dawn news reports, it was reported seven people have lost their lives on Sunday when millions of civilians took it to the Sudanese streets to demonstrate against the military council demanding them to hand power over to a civilian council.
Protesters have been calling for hand over of power and departure of army generals who seized power since ex-President Omar al-Bashir was forcibly ousted from the office by civilians via protest in April.
The crowd chanted slogans including “civilian rule” with flooding the streets of the capital, Khartoum, Omdurman city and several other cities and towns, according to witnesses and correspondents reports.
Security forces were deployed across the nation, particularly in Khartoum, firing tear gas in many regions. A health ministry official was quoted by the SUNA news agency as saying about seven were killed, including another 181 injured, with other 27 by gunfire.
A doctors’ committee, linked to civil disobedient movement, said five marchers were dead, many more were in a serious condition caused by gunshots fired by “military council militia” – a term used for the RSF (Rapid Security Forces) by protesters. It was said ten security personnel were injured.
The protest chief blamed the transitional military council (TMC) for Sunday’s bloodshed. On his official Facebook handle, protest group chief Mohamed Naji al-Assam said, “The military council is completely responsible for these lives lost.”
He said, “Peaceful Sudanese protesters are exposed to excessive violence, live bullets, and beatings,” but added, “The Sudanese have proven that they will not back down.”
In response, the military generals blamed the protest movement – the alliance for freedom and change – for Sunday’s bloodshed.
On the ruling military council’s official Facebook handle, general Jamal Omer posted including a video, saying, “Freedom and Change … incited protesters to go toward the republican palace (prompting) police forces to use tear gas to disperse protesters.”
“Freedom and Change bears the entire responsibility for these violations and the casualties among regular forces and citizens.”
Also read: ‘Millions march’: Sudanese protesters braces for demonstrations on Sunday