KHARTOUM —
Security forces shot a protester dead in
Sudan’s capital Friday, medics said,
as pro-democracy demonstrators demanded justice for those killed in a bloody
crackdown three years ago to the day.
اضافة اعلان
Thousands took to the streets in Khartoum and
other cities to commemorate the 128 people who medics say were killed when
armed men in military fatigues violently dispersed a months-long sit-in outside
army headquarters.
The latest demonstrations came as
UN human rights expert Adama Dieng visited Sudan and urged authorities to “refrain from
use of excessive force”.
The protests in 2019 were crucial to pressing
the military into sharing power with civilians in the wake of the ouster in
April that year of longtime autocrat Omar Al-Bashir.
But a military coup led by army chief
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in October last year derailed that fragile political
transition, and protesters have returned to the streets at least weekly since
then — often in the face of renewed deadly force.
“Blood for blood,” protesters in Khartoum
chanted, while others urged the military “to go back to their barracks”. The police released a statement accusing
demonstrators of attacking police stations, wounding policemen and causing
damage.
‘We
want justice’
Amna Behiri, whose son
Abdel Salam Kesha was one of the demonstrators killed three years ago, joined
one of the rallies Friday wearing a shirt emblazoned with a print of her son’s
face. “We want justice before anything else,” she told AFP. “Without justice, we
can’t have a democratic state.”
An investigation was launched into the June 2019 crackdown later
that year, but even before last year’s military power grab, it struggled to
make headway and it is still to announce its findings.
“We lost youth who were dear to the people of Sudan,” said Diaa
Eddine, whose nephew was also killed in the crackdown three years ago. “With
this anniversary, God willing, the Sudanese revolution will win.”
The UK, Norway, and the US issued a tripartite statement Friday
“calling for the prompt resolution of the government-appointed investigation
into the (2019) massacre and disclosure of findings to the public.”
A bloody crackdown since last year’s coup has killed nearly 100
more people, according to pro-democracy medics.
Dieng’s visit is his second since Burhan’s power grab. Burhan has
said some security force members have “misused” their weapons during
demonstrations since October, but no trials of personnel have been publicly
announced.
On Friday, UN special representative Volker Perthes announced the
Security Council had voted to extend by one year the UN’s’ mission in Sudan.
The UN, along with the African Union and regional grouping IGAD, have been
pushing to facilitate Sudanese-led talks to resolve the crisis.
On Wednesday, military officials met with the UN, the African
Union, and IGAD representatives and agreed to launch “direct talks” among
Sudanese factions next week.
On
Sunday, Burhan lifted a state of emergency in force since the coup to set the
stage for “meaningful dialogue that achieves stability for the transitional
period”. Since April,
Sudanese authorities have released a several civilian
leaders and pro-democracy activists.
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