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Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

Sudan sentences six militiamen to death for killing student protesters

RSF froces

RSF force in a training camp outside Khartoum before to be deployed in Darfur on 19 January 2021 (ST photo)

August 5, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – El-Obeid Court in North Kordofan state Thursday sentenced to death six members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the killing of student protesters two years ago.

On July 29, 2019, six students were shot dead by the RSF militiamen as they dispersed angry protests in the capital of North Darfur state over food and fuel shortages and high inflation.

The death sentence did not include one of the RSF recruits who took part in the killing of protesters many of whom were wearing school uniforms. The court found that was a minor under the age of 18 when he committed the crime.

The SRF militia which operates under the command of the Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemetti is widely accused of recruiting children, also they are accused of committing widespread brutalities and grave human rights violations in Darfur and South Kordofan.

The Public Prosecution had charged the Rapid Support personnel under Articles 21, 130 and 186 of the Criminal Code, related to criminal participation, premeditated murder and crimes against humanity.

On 24 May, a Sudanese court sentenced to death an RSF officer for the killing of a protester during the brutal breakup of the pro-democracy sit-in in June 2019.

The militiamen carried out a vehicle-ramming attack on the protesters.

The huge amount of videos and pictures taken during the attacks on the pro-democracy protests helped to identify the authors of atrocities committed by the militiamen.

Hemetti resists the integration of his militiamen into the national army.

On Thursday, the RSF announced that it completed the second human rights training session for its forces implemented by the Geneva Institute for Human Rights.

(ST)