Five protesters killed in south-west Sudan
July 29, 2019 (EL-OBEID) – Five protesters were shot deal and dozens wounded, Monday, during a student demonstration against the hike of prices the capital of North Kordofan state, El Obeid located 400 km (250 miles) southwest of the capital Khartoum.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to told Sudan Tribune were unable to identify those who shot the protestors from the students saying that everyone was surprised by the shooting on student protesters.
Other sources said that snipers on the roof of the buildings of the main market opened fire on the protesters who marched on the streets of the downtown.
In a statement released on the killing, the pro-democracy Central Committee of Sudan Doctors (CCSD) confirmed that unidentified snipers shot on the peaceful demonstration by the secondary school students.
The CCSD, in another statement about the human casualties among the protesters, said 62 people were wounded by live fire or tear gas besides few others by baton, stones and bricks.
The group, also, pointed out that there are some critical cases among the injured protesters who were taken to hospitals for treatment.
An eyewitness Tahir Mohamed Tahir told “Sudan Tribune” that the protests came out because of the lack of transportation and high prices and that the procession passed through the city market more than once before the shooting near the Bank of Khartoum building.
He confirmed that there was also a heavy shooting, sometimes with Dushka weapons by forces based near the building of the French bank which is not far from the Bank of Khartoum.
Hanafi Karrar, another eyewitness, expressed his doubts about the existence of parties behind the events, saying he was a witness to the passage of protesters in the main market more than one time before the sudden shooting.
Following the growing public anger, the Sudanese army deployed its troops was the Rapid Support Forces were redeployed outside the town.
The North Kordofan government ordered a curfew in the state’s large cities from 9 pm Monday to 6 am.
Also, the authorities decided to close the state schools.
(ST)