Sudanese police kill protester in eastern Khartoum
June 12, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese police killed a protester in eastern Khartoum neighbourhood of Al-Geraif where the residents organised a peaceful demonstration over land ownership on Friday.
Al-Geraif residents are opposed to land expropriation operations by Khartoum state authorities and demand to allocate this land for housing. Also, they demand the restitution of confiscated agricultural land and plots near the Nile river where were traditional brick factories saying the authorities didn’t pay compensations to the owners.
During the recent past years Khartoum state witnessed similar conflicts over land ownership between the local authorities and the residents. This is was the case in Al-Hamadab neighbourhood, south of the capital Khartoum in December 2014. Also on 25 February of this year police killed a peaceful demonstrator in similar circumstances following a protest against sale of a land plots in Al-Shajara suburb.
In a statement issued on Friday evening, the Sudanese police admitted the death of a protester adding that some wounded from the demonstrators and the police were transported to the hospital.
The statement said the protester was killed when the policemen used tear gas to disperse the angry crowd who attacked the national police station after burning the centre of popular police in the area.
“The police accomplished its duty in the protection of lives and properties of citizens and the state,” said the statement adding that a number of suspects have been arrested after lodging criminal complaints against them.
Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune that the anti riot police arrested significant number of protesters.
Activists posted images and videos of the protests, some of it showed a large pool of blood on the street where the protester was killed.
The opposition Reform Now Movement condemned the killing of a peaceful protester and said the systematic killing of peaceful protesters would not resolve the country’s crises and recalled similar cases where the police opened fire on protesters.
Also the opposition Unionist Movement issued a statement denouncing the excessive use of force and bloody repression against peaceful demonstration.
(ST)