Armed elements kill 6 people including military after attack on protest site in Khartoum
May 14, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Armed elements wearing military fatigues attacked protesters on Monday evening killing six people including an army officer, said the army and a medical group in the first hours of Tuesday.
The attack took place after the end of a fruitful meeting over the transitional institutions between the military council and the freedom and change forces.
The gunmen wearing the military uniform of the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces attacked the sit-inners near the army headquarters and in different areas surrounding the main protest site such as the Nile and Republic streets.
The assailants opened fire on the peaceful sit-inners who decided to expand the areas they control and set barricades in the Nile street and Republic street in Khartoum to put pressure on the military council during the talks on power handover.
In a statement released around 03:05 am of Tuesday, the Sudan Doctors Committee which is a part of the Sudanese Professional Association said five civilians have been killed during the attacks plus a Sudanese army major.
Also, the military council spokesperson Shams al-Din Kabbashi confirmed the death of the army major and said that three other soldiers were wounded.
The doctors’ committee did not give an estimation for the number of wounded sit-inners but called for blood donors particularly for the wounded people at Care Hospital and Almualem Hospital.
The attack was strongly condemned by the head of the military council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and accused “circles that try to abort agreement with the forces of freedom and change”
Al-Burhan further pointed to the peaceful character of the Sudanese revolution adding “The army is committed to protecting the protesters and we will arrest the perpetrators and we will hold them accountable”.
From the opposition side, SPLM-N Agar deputy leader Yasir Arman issue a short statement to condemn the attack and recalled that the killing of civilians is an imprescriptible crime.
He further added there was no coincidence that the attack came after the announcement of progress in talks with the forces of freedom and change.
The National Security and Intelligence Service (NISS) issued a statement denying reports about their involvement in the attacks on the army forces and civilians in the vicinity of the army headquarters.
The NISS is “committed to only collect, analyze and assess information and submit it to the relevant authorities,” added the statement.
In a press conference held at 02:30 am of Tuesday morning, the TMC military council spokesperson Shams al-Din Kabbashi said the recent escalation by the sit-inners has contributed to creating a conducive atmosphere for the attack.
He also said dormant cells from anti-revolutionary elements sought to create conflicts between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
He added that there is an understanding between the army and the freedom and change forces pointing they hope to reach an agreement over these issues with their partners from the opposition.
He also said he was optimistic to conclude an agreement with the freedom and change forces on Tuesday.
(ST)